Sport-Labour-Late-Capitalism

Sport, Labour and Late Capitalism

  • Title: Exploring the Concussion "Crisis" through Class Politics

Overview

  • Key topics:

    • Sport and Class

    • Sport and Labour using Marxist vocabulary

    • Relations of Production: Brohm and sport as an Ideological State Apparatus (ISA)

    • Labour Struggles: Curt Flood and the concept of free agency

    • Concussion Crisis framed as class politics

The Political Dimension of Sport

  • Bernie Sanders: Advocates for compensation for college athletes as workers.

  • LeBron James highlights support for SB 206 allowing college athletes to be paid.

Relevant Quotes

  • Walter: “You’re a millionaire and you’re complaining. In what world are you living, Jesse?”

  • Jesse: “Yo, in a world where the guys doing all the work don’t get fisted!”

Understanding Socio-Economic Class in North America

  • Questions to consider:

  • How is socio-economic class determined?

  • How many classes exist in North America?

  • Common myths surrounding class distinctions.

Class Definition Criteria

  • Income, types of work, consumer items, language, education, and cultural interests (including sports).

Professional Athletes and Class

  • Considerations on which socio-economic class professional athletes belong to:

  • Working class, Upper class, or Middle class?

  • Insight from Harvey Swados: Athletes earn like the upper class but work like the working class, as they rely heavily on their physicality.

Marxist Vocabulary in Sport and Labour

  • Key terms:

  • Mode of Production

  • Commodity Fetishism

  • Alienation

  • Dialectic between Labour and Capital.

Marxism & Sport

  • Relations of production in sports lead to:

    • Discipline & Submission

    • Mechanization of the Body

    • Resistance to Pain

    • Division of Labour

    • Competition vs. Cooperation

Case Study: Curt Flood's Struggle

  • Notable achievements of Curt Flood:

  • 3-time All-Star, 7-time Golden Glove winner.

  • Took action against the Reserve Clause in MLB which limited player autonomy.

  • Advocated for player liberation leading to the eventual approval of free agency in 1974.

Comparisons of Sport as Employment

  • Analyses the unique nature of sports jobs:

    • Lack of recognition of athletics as labor due to media, education, and politics.

Concussion Crisis and Class Politics

  • Events surrounding NFL (2011) and NHL (2012) lockouts.

  • Rising concerns: player suicides and premature deaths.

  • Media narratives framing labor politics during sport lockouts.

Popular Press Narratives

  • "Millionaires vs. Billionaires": oversimplifies conflicts.

  • Emphasis on athlete self-responsibility in engaging with dangerous sports.

Self-Responsibility and Concussion Discourse

  • The argument often shifts blame from leagues and owners to players:

  • Treatment of injuries often disconnected from socioeconomic realities.

  • Historical parallel with dangerous labor conditions in other industries (e.g., coal mining).

The Conveyor Belt Concept in Sports

  • Control and discipline within athlete development, leading to conformity and lack of dissent.

  • Dissonance between athletes’ experiences and the narrative of being a team player.

The Issue of Child Labour in Sports

  • Concerns about child athletes facing conditions akin to forced labor.

  • Critique on abusive coaching practices similar to domestic abuse dynamics.

Historical and Social Context

  • Relevant conventions for child rights:

  • United Nations Convention on the Rights of a Child (1989).

The Role of Institutions in Sports

  • Networks that marginalize athletes viewed as potential troublemakers through standardization and discipline.

The Economic Implications of Athletic Labour

  • Overview of the NCAA Basketball economic environment:

  • Significant disparities in athlete compensation versus income generated.

The Fab Five in NCAA Basketball

  • An exploration of collective agency among the Fab Five and their impact on institutional practices.

  • Questions surrounding their challenges to existing rules and representation in media.