krls204 6. social reform

From late Victorian era to Edwardian age

• social reform movements emerged at turn the century circa 1890-1914 and into the Great War period of 1914-1918

• Advocated benefits of sport, leisure, health

• Seen as antidote to problems of urban life

• Two interpretations of social reformers:

  • Benevolent & selfless leadership

  • Self-interested social control

social gospel

• putting christianity into action. individual was responsible for improvement and community renewal.

• Wave of Protestant evangelism

• Social religion active in secular life

• Motivated many reform movements

What precipitated the focus on male fitness?

• Urban industrial life was seen as “softening” young men and boys

• Darwinism and Social Darwinism:

  • Theories: Natural Selection, “Survival of the fittest”?

  • British colonial world view and debates: decline of the “British race”; religion; and Empire?

• Widespread middle-class anxieties and turmoil

  • re. science, religion, capitalism, nation, empire → ideologies and tensions played out around the body

The “young boy problem”

• Rev. Egerton Shore, social gospeller

  • “Where were all the young men of vigour and strength?”

• young men were not going to church, and ppl saw that as a problem

• What would attract boys back to church?

  • sport! churches thought the pos social benefits will bring them back, vvv

• Sports promoted by Protestant Social

• Gospel for renewal & social reform (c. 1895-1925) to improve individual & society

  • Shift from asceticism to athleticism: self denial, bodily abstinence vs.

  • engaging the body and physicality, linked to spirit, exercise = good and moral

muscular christianity

• Christian manliness and good citizenship expressed through physical pursuits for boys and men

  • Sports/games = school for character building & “manly virtues”

• EG. strength, discipline, self reliance, patriotism, fair play ethic, respect for authority

• Part of rational recreation movement

  • Sport absorbed energy that might lead to “sin” (e.g. idleness, delinquency, crime)

• A cult of manliness thought to counteract the “feminizing” tendencies of the modern world

  • by keeping British men & “race” in top form

  • thus related to social Darwinism

• Linked physical training to militaristic preparation and national defence, and masc christianity brought all of this together

  • from playing fields to battlegrounds

1851 YMCA Montreal

• Young Men’s Christian Association

• 1st in North America

• Goal: “spiritual improvement of young men”

• Linked to Protestant evangelism, Bible study

  • when the CA national council made, there was more attitudes on rec centres because sport no longer saligned with changing ideals on represeting masc christianity

• 1912 Canadian national council est.

• Male physical culture: team sports, swimming, gymnastics

• inside, programs such as life saving programs were offered. masc christianity to improve oneself and also life saving skills to save another

1870 YWCA, St. John, N.B

• 1st in Canada

• Goal: physical & moral welfare of young women

• Sheltering unmarried women

• 1895 Canadian national body est.

• Female physical culture: Dance, swimming, tennis, Ladies’ Days at YM

1919 YMHA, Winnipeg

• Young Men’s Hebrew Association (large jewish populations in Montreal and winnepeg)

• YWHA later for females

• Tradition of organized sport & rec

• Cities with large Jewish population

• Promoted Judaism & Jewish identity

origins of basketball

• James Naismith

  • Ex McGill athletic director & professor

  • Director of YMCA training school in Springfield, Massachusetts

  • Became medical doctor (sports physiology) and Presbyterian minister

• 1891 game invented, for wintertime student fitness & rec

• Indoor game to dev skill & fitness, not rely only on strength

• Soccer balls & peach baskets

• 1892 female rules

• 1902 1st Canadian intervarsity match

  • McGill vs. Queen’s

• 1936 Olympic event for men; 1976 for women

origins of volleyball

• 1895 Mintonette

• Wm. Morgan

  • YMCA director

  • Springfield College student, Mass.

• For mid-age men

• Less strenuous than basketball with skills from baseball, handball, tennis

• YMCA missionaries

  • Spread to Canada & Latin America

• WWI & WWII

  • Military → volleyball

• 1923 AAUC

• 1920s female rules

• 1964 Olympic event

• 1996 Olympic Beach volleyball (M & F)

the “new woman”

• Women’s Rights

  • Maternal Feminism

  • Progressive Feminism

• National Council of Women

• Women’s Christian Temperance Union

the “new woman:” reform causes

• Suffrage (voting)

• Prohibition (alcohol)

• Community Development

• Children’s Welfare

  • Health

  • Education

  • Play

• Women’s Health & Welfare

the “new woman:” dress reform

• The Gibson Girl

• Sportswear

• no longer wearing victorian corset and giant skirt, but a more flowy dress, big sleeves, emphasis on body tea waist. skirt also allows for biking! often seen in biking ads too!

the “new woman:” exercise

• Medical outlook

• Physical activity

  • new fashion, more participation of women in sport!

• Reproduction

the “new woman:” active sports

• Field hockey

• 1896 Vancouver

the “new woman:” passivity to activity

MODERATE sport was actually allowed now (good for physical and fertility, in women) and no exercise was warned for women. more sport was also encouraged in men

back to nature

• “Escaping” city life To health & fresh air For renewal

• Outdoor Recreation

  • Summer Camps

  • Climbing

  • Birding

  • Canoeing

  • Fishing, hunting

• Bring benefits of nature to modern urban life 

urban planning and reform

• Urban Planning Movements

• City Beautiful

• Garden City

• Canadian Commission of Conservation

• Sanitary housing

public parks and playgrounds

• Green space

• Public Parks

  • Vancouver Board of Parks and Recreation

  • 1886 Stanley Park

• for the public good! good for sport and leisure and just getting in PA that isn’t just sport

playground movement

• “Child Saving” was a social reform focus

  • To improve lives of children & community’s welfare

  • Supervised playgrounds for healthy, safe play outside

• National Council of Women:

  • Lobbied for playgrounds across Canada, etc.

  • at the interest of children and their health

• Edmonton Gyro Club (1921) (example of how men were more involved in parenthood than we realized):

  • Men’s civic club; branch of international Gyro Club

  • Focus: improve the city and promote citizenship

  • How? Built playgrounds at Tipton Park, Patricia Park, Kitchener Park, and local hospital; sponsored summer playground programs for children