Physical Culture and Activism

Recording Introduction

  • Instructor confirming recording is in progress
  • Technical setup discussed, noting the room layout affects audio.

Lecture Overview

  • Unit Focus: Physical Culture and Activism
    • Instructor mentions intention to connect sports to social movements.
    • Plans to incorporate a video into the lecture, with an eventual link shared for student access.
  • Structure of Today’s Lecture:
    • Covering connections of sport to activism and social movements include:
    • Development of an athlete activist orientation.
    • Connections between physical cultural forms (e.g., sports, dance, martial arts) and social movements.
  • Announcements:
    • Reminder about the outcome of the second tutorial test and makeup test scheduling (test one makeup on December 11).
    • Note: No makeup for tutorial test two.
    • Next test: Third tutorial test scheduled for January 12, covering:
    • Sexuality and heteronormativity
    • Race and racialization
    • The current and previous week's unit (physical culture and activism).

Upcoming Events Related to Content

  • National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women:
    • Date: December 6; commemoration for 14 female engineering students murdered in 1989 in Montreal.
    • Emphasis on continued relevance of gender-based violence today, especially within sports.
    • Reference to research on reducing sexual/gender-based violence in sports by a tutorial leader, Michael Wildbour.
  • Importance of linking sport and social change highlighted.

Athlete Activism

  • Connection to last week’s lecture by Professor Romano on the consequences of athlete activism.
    • Consequences discussed include:
    • Killings, torture, and persecution of activist athletes in historical contexts.
    • Disruption to lives of athletes due to activism (e.g., needing to flee or go into hiding).
  • Discussion Point: Should sport be neutral or political?
    • Case study from 2018 about LeBron James and Fox News commentary:
    • Notable quote “shut up and dribble” illustrates dismissiveness toward athlete opinions.
  • Interactive Discussion:
    • Split audience into two sides to argue if sports should remain neutral or be political.
    • Theoretical connections made regarding personal feelings about athletes and politics affecting fandom.

Arguments for Sports Neutrality

  • Unifies people across competing teams.
  • Sports enjoyed irrespective of athletes' politics (personal testimonials).
  • Suggestion that politics distracts from the enjoyment of sports.

Arguments for Sports Politics

  • Athletes as role models/ idles have a responsibility to speak up about social issues.
  • Citizens' rights to express opinions can transcend their professional roles.
  • Consequences of speaking out:
    • Risks include fines from leagues or loss of sponsorships, especially for women athletes.
  • Recognizes the complexity of motivations within recreational sports communities:
    • Community members can feel empowered to advocate for causes within their sport.

Athlete Agency

  • Definition of agency:
    • Freedom to choose without constraints; ability to exert power and influence.
  • Kaufman and Wolff’s argument: Athlete agency can lead to being agents of change, suggesting participation in sports can develop social consciousness.

Social Consciousness

  • Definition: Awareness of how societal structures operate and their impact.
  • Development components:
    • Reflexivity: Understanding one's positionality and biases.
    • Points of persuasion: Recognizing power dynamics.
    • Sociological imagination: Comprehending larger social contexts for individual experiences.

Reflexivity Explained

  • Recognizing one's biases and social position’s influence on perception.
  • Realizing limitations in understanding others’ experiences.
  • Assessing situations to determine how one can effectively intervene or act (e.g., intervening in peer distress).

Presentation of Social Justice through Sports

  • Use example of McGill University eliminating sports teams as a case for activism through sports:
    • Questioning the impacts of such decisions on student athletes and broader community aspirations.

Discussion of Responsible Citizenship and Interdependency

  • Responsible Citizenship:
    • Being informed about injustices and taking action as a sport participant.
  • Interdependency:
    • Recognizing Cooperative dynamics in sports and extending to the community's support systems (e.g., janitorial staff, community workers).
  • Broader understanding of how sportsmanship can reflect responsibilities as citizens.

Connections to Broader Movements and Participation

  • Highlighting various community movements related to sports (e.g., disability rights, anti-Olympics controversies).
  • Presenting examples like Christie Pits DIY Skateboarding project emphasizing local advocacy in sports.

Gender Equity in Sports and Violence Prevention

  • Introducing strategies for using gender equity efforts to combat gender-based violence:
    • Referencing the infographic hosted on York University’s Center for Human Rights, which includes educational initiatives and engagement activities for students.

Conclusion and Reminders

  • Students reminded of upcoming academic schedules and breaks.
  • Encouragement to engage with the material and events leading up to the winter break.
  • Good wishes for exams and the holiday season.