1: Leisure & Sport in Society

These flashcards cover the key vocabulary and sociological concepts introduced in Week 1 of the KINS 1160 Leisure & Sport in Society course, including definitions of society, sport, leisure, and various contemporary sociological theories.

Sociology

The disciplined study of human social behaviour, especially the investigation of the origins, classifications, institutions, and development of human society.

Society

The structured social relations and institutions among a large community of people which cannot be reduced to a simple collection or aggregation of individuals.

Sociology of Leisure and Sport

A sub-discipline of sociology that critically examines the relationships between sport and society, and studies sport as a central part of social and cultural life.

Social Structure

Patterned relationships that connect different parts of society to one another, acting as frameworks that can facilitate or restrict the capacity of individuals or groups to act.

Internal Rules

Internal assumptions and ideologies that individuals embrace as common sense.

External Rules

Laws, regulations, and policies that set limits and possibilities for how we live our lives.

Ideologies

Common sense ideas and beliefs that serve the interests of dominant groups and work to legitimize and sustain their positions of power and influence.

Institutionalization

The process of establishing a dominant set of patterns, rules, social norms, and relations in society, often involving formal organizations and regulated standards of play.

Informal Sport

Physical activities that are self-initiated with no fixed start or stop times, no tangible outcomes, and where victory or rewards are not dominant features.

Leisure as Activity

Activities that people engage in during their free time that are not work-oriented or related to life maintenance tasks like housecleaning or sleep.

Culture

A way of life consisting of activities, norms, customs, values, symbols, and shared meanings that define belonging and prescribe criteria for what is appropriate.

Social Institutions

Formal, large-scale social systems created and maintained to serve the needs of society where social identities, rules, and culture are reinforced (e.g., education, religion, sport).

Agency

The ability of individuals and groups to act independently and pursue their own free choices to both act and shape society.

Power Relations

Asymmetrical relations between individuals or groups, or relations embedded within social structures such as class, gender, or race.

Hegemony

The process of cultural dominance and maintaining leadership by gaining consent from the general public through 'common sense' assumptions that benefit dominant classes.

Sociological Theory

A proposition or set of propositions about the nature of the social world and people’s roles or active engagement in that world.

Structural Functionalism

A theory viewing society as a complex system of interdependent components (institutions, norms, interactions) that work together to promote stability and solidarity.

Social Integration

Common ties or bonds that hold people together and give them a sense of solidarity.

Conflict Theory

A theory based on the idea that components of society compete for finite economic, social, and cultural resources, and that dominant norms are decided by the class with the most power.

Capitalists

Those who control the means of production or production resources and realize the surpluses and profits.

Workers

Those who do not control the means of production, meaning their labour benefits others and they remain alienated from their labour.

Protestant Ethic

Values involving a life of duty, hard work, and refraining from pleasures and material goods, originally linked to religious loyalty but remaining as a focus on an ascetic lifestyle.

Goal-rational Action

Human action involving the most calculated and rationalized means toward achieving a particular end or goal.

Symbolic Interactionism

A micro-sociological analysis foregrounding the ability of humans to interpret and give meaning to the world through symbolic meanings like signs and gestures.

The 'I'

The internal component of the self that is subjectively experienced, including feelings and emotions.

The 'Me'

The external image of the self, based on the perception of how others see us.

Critical Social Theories

Social justice-oriented perspectives that focus on the complex relationships between social structures and power to challenge and transform oppressive practices.

Feminism

The move to end sexism, sexist exploitation, and oppression.

Critical Race Theory

A perspective highlighting the role race and racism play in shaping sporting traditions and the development of ethnic and cultural beliefs.