Marxism

Which of the following best defines social class?

A. A person’s hobbies and social interests

B. A division of society based on social and economic status

C. A person’s athletic ability and performance

D. A group defined by shared political beliefs

B. A division of society based on social and economic status

Being “__________” means having greater agency, freedom, and unearned advantages in society.

Privileged

Privilege often exists on which levels?

A. Only financial

B. Only political

C. Structural, cultural, and psychological

D. Physical and genetic

C. Structural, cultural, and psychological

Social class can exist on multiple levels, including both “” and “” forms of power.

Hard and soft

According to Dr. Rob Lake’s lecture, “soft” forms of power refer to:

A. Economic institutions and job markets

B. Military and political control

C. Cultural influence and ideological control

D. Genetic advantages

C. Cultural influence and ideological control

Which of the following best describes “structural privilege”?

A. Privilege someone earns through hard work

B. Advantages built into political, economic, or social systems

C. Privilege based on sports performance

D. A form of personal motivation

B. Advantages built into political, economic, or social systems

In discussions of social class, economic factors like money and employment are often referred to as the “________” level of analysis.

Socio-economic

The lecture links social class to “power.” What is power primarily understood as in this context?

A. The ability to control others and make decisions that affect society

B. Personal charisma or confidence

C. The size of one’s physical body

D. None of the above

A. The ability to control others and make decisions that affect society

Which statement best summarizes the key point about privilege in the lecture?

A. Privilege is always earned through personal effort.

B. Privilege is unearned and varies across levels of society.

C. Privilege does not affect social class.

D. Privilege only applies to economic wealth.

B. Privilege is unearned and varies across levels of society.

How might privilege influence participation in sport?

A. It has no impact.

B. It determines only physical ability.

C. It can provide easier access to equipment, coaching, and opportunity.

D. It decreases interest in sport.

C. It can provide easier access to equipment, coaching, and opportunity.

Privilege and social class influence one’s ability to participate and excel in sport by determining access to __________ and __________.

Power and resources

Which of the following would be an example of hard power?

A. Social media influence

B. Economic control through ownership or money

C. Popularity

D. Motivation and confidence

B. Economic control through ownership or money

What did Karl Marx believe caused the greatest inequality in society?

A. Differences in intelligence

B. Unequal access to economic resources

C. Lack of education

D. Natural competition

B. Unequal access to economic resources

The theory developed by Karl Marx to explain social inequality is known as __________.

Marxism

Social class barriers in sport extend beyond economics to include cultural and __________ processes.

Ideological

Which concept explains why many athletes continue playing despite injury or poor treatment?

A. False consciousness

B. Alienation

C. Exploitation

D. All of the above

D. All of the above

Which of the following statements best summarizes Marxist analysis of sport?

A. Sport is purely entertainment.

B. Sport reflects and reproduces social inequalities through its economic and ideological systems.

C. Sport is free from capitalist influence.

D. Sport only benefits athletes.

B. Sport reflects and reproduces social inequalities through its economic and ideological systems.

Those athletes with some form of ownership have the greatest __________ in sport.

Power

According to the lecture, what does the “base–superstructure” model help explain in sport?

A. The history of athletic rules

B. How economic control and cultural ideology maintain inequality

C. Why some sports are more fun than others

D. Differences in physical ability

B. How economic control and cultural ideology maintain inequality

Which of the following represents the “illusion of choice” for consumers in sport?

A. Fans freely choosing whether to watch or not

B. Feeling obligated to buy merchandise to prove loyalty

C. Choosing a local recreational league

D. Voting in team elections

B. Feeling obligated to buy merchandise to prove loyalty

Fans are also subject to __________ when they buy expensive tickets or merchandise because they are taught that it makes them “real fans.”

Exploitation

In Marxist theory, who are the bourgeoisie?

A. The working class

B. The owners of the means of production

C. The unemployed

D. The middle-class professionals

B. The owners of the means of production

Who are the proletariat in Marxist theory?

A. The people who own companies

B. The ruling class

C. The working class who sell their labor

D. The government officials

C. The working class who sell their labor

What is “exploitation” according to Marx?

A. Treating everyone equally

B. Using someone’s labor for less than its value

C. Paying people more than they deserve

D. Overproduction of goods

B. Using someone’s labor for less than its value

In a capitalist system, wage-earners earn less than the value of the goods they produce. This is known as __________.

Exploitation

When workers are unaware of their true social situation, Marx called this __________ consciousness.

False

Which of the following best defines “false consciousness”?

A. Knowing exactly how society works

B. Being aware of class exploitation

C. Being unaware or misled about your social position

D. A mental health condition

C. Being unaware or misled about your social position

_______ is when the working class becomes aware of their exploitation and begins to unite to resist it.

Class consciousness

Marx argued that once the working class develops class consciousness, they will likely:

A. Move to a different country

B. Rise up and demand change (revolution)

C. Quit working altogether

D. Start their own small businesses

B. Rise up and demand change (revolution)

Who benefits most from the current power structure in professional sport?

A. Athletes and fans

B. Coaches and trainers

C. League owners, broadcasters, and sponsors

D. Government regulators

C. League owners, broadcasters, and sponsors

What is the superstructure in sport?

A. Equipment and facilities

B. Game statistics

C. Wage contracts

D. Cultural systems like media, education, and fan ideologies

D. Cultural systems like media, education, and fan ideologies

What is the base of sport according to Marxist analysis?

A. Rules and traditions of games

B. Economic institutions — owners, teams, and markets

C. Fan cultures

D. Coaching strategies

B. Economic institutions — owners, teams, and markets

Which of these best illustrates false consciousness in professional sport?

A. Fans believing that athletes have total freedom because they “play for a living”

B. Players forming unions

C. Leagues negotiating fair contracts

D. Fans boycotting expensive merchandise

A. Fans believing that athletes have total freedom because they “play for a living”

Which of the following is an example of alienation in professional sport?

A. An athlete losing control over their body due to injury and team demands

B. A player buying stock in their team

C. A fan enjoying a game on TV

D. A coach mentoring youth athletes

A. An athlete losing control over their body due to injury and team demands

Feeling separated or powerless in your work, your body, or your life is called __________.

Alienation

The bourgeoisie maintain power by controlling not only the economy but also people’s __________through ideology.

Beliefs

What is the “base” in Marxist theory?

A. The military and government

B. The economic foundation of society (production and labor)

C. Religion and education

D. Art and culture

B. The economic foundation of society (production and labor)

What is the “superstructure” in Marxist theory?

A. The economic base

B. The group of people who own production

C. The non-economic institutions like media, education, and culture

D. The government only

C. The non-economic institutions like media, education, and culture

The superstructure serves to “__________ up” or justify the existing system of exploitation.

Prop

According to Marxists, ideologies are created and spread by:

A. The proletariat

B. The ruling class

C. The government’s opposition

D. Religious organizations only

B. The ruling class

Ideologies serve the __________ of the ruling class.

Interests

Which of the following is an example of false consciousness in sport?

A. Believing athletes are free because they “play” for a living

B. Protesting unfair wages

C. Demanding player unions

D. Refusing to endorse harmful sponsorships

A. Believing athletes are free because they “play” for a living

The illusion that athletes have complete freedom is an example of __________ consciousness.

False

Professional athletes produce performances that can be bought and sold like __________.

Commodities

Professional athletes are sometimes viewed as:

A. Purely part of the bourgeoisie

B. Part of the proletariat despite high pay

C. Independent of social class

D. Completely unexploited

B. Part of the proletariat despite high pay

Allowing student-athletes to profit from their name, image, and likeness (NIL) helps to:

A. Completely eliminate exploitation

B. Have no effect on power relations

C. Increase control by universities

D. Reduce but not remove exploitation

D. Reduce but not remove exploitation

What happens to workers under capitalism, according to Marx?

A. They gain total control over their lives

B. They become more creative

C. They are exploited and alienated from their labor

D. They are equally paid as the owners

C. They are exploited and alienated from their labor

In the context of sport, which group most clearly represents the bourgeoisie?

A. Fans and spectators

B. Team owners, league commissioners, and corporate sponsors

C. Amateur athletes

D. Coaches and trainers

B. Team owners, league commissioners, and corporate sponsors

Athletes, who sell their physical performance for wages, represent the __________ class in sport.

Proletariat

Which of the following best demonstrates exploitation in college athletics?

A. Athletes earning full salaries

B. Student-athletes generating millions in revenue while unpaid

C. Players owning their image rights

D. Coaches and athletes sharing equal profit

B. Student-athletes generating millions in revenue while unpaid