Social Class in Sport

Social Class and Capital

  • Economic Capital: Financial resources a person controls (inheritance, earnings, investments).
  • Social Capital: Resources based on group membership, associations, and social/business relationships (e.g., country club access).
  • Cultural Capital: Skills and abilities gained from education and life experiences (attitudes, expectations, self-confidence).

Social Class and Choice of Sport

  • Social classes:
    • Upper (1%)
    • Upper Middle
    • Middle
    • Lower
    • Impoverished

Average Family Income by Race

  • Data from 2008 Census indicates income variations among Asian, White, Hispanic, and Black families.

Percentage Below Poverty Line

  • Disparities exist among racial groups (Black, Hispanic, Asian, White).

Olympic Sports

  • Breakdown of top-performing athletes (Hemery, 1986):
    • Poor: 2%
    • Working Class: 26%
    • Middle Class: 44%
    • Upper Middle Class: 0%

High Performance Sport Costs

  • Significant costs: participation fees, training, travel, coaching, equipment rental.

High School Sports

  • Middle and Working Class: Tend to participate in team sports (encouraged for college scholarships).
  • Low Income: Less encouraged to participate due to the need to work or assist with homecare (especially for young women).

Upper Mobility in Sports

  • "Rocky Myth": Sports as a path from poverty (mostly a myth).
  • Limited cases: Only 3% of college athletes become professionals, and 0.2% go from high school to pro.

Examples of Sports by Social Class:

  • Dogfighting
  • Horseback Riding Competition
  • Rodeo
  • Professional Wrestling