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