First Exam Reading Questions for Coakley Text

Chapter 1: The Sociology of Sport
1.    As opposed to sports psychology, what are major issues or concerns for sociologists who study sports?
2.    What aspects of sports are most likely to be studied by sociologists?
3.    Why does Coakley prefer to use the term sports (plural) rather than sport (singular)?
4.    According to the author, what is his motivation for writing this textbook?
5.    What characteristics does the author encourage in those who study sports?
6.    What are ideologies and how does this apply to gender and race?
7.    What does the author mean when he states that the human body is social?
8.    A critical transformation model for studying sports would likely focus on what kinds of issues?
9.    What are the important factors used by the author to identify activity as sport?
10.    At what point does sport become spectacle?


Chapter 2:  Using Social Theories
1.    Why is social theory both useful and practical?
2.    According to functional theory, what are the four important issues that must be addressed in order for society to operate smoothly?
3.    Research guided by functionalist theory would like focus on what kinds of questions?
4.    What are the main weaknesses of functionalist theory explanations of sport?
5.    As opposed to functionalist theory, how are issues in sport evaluated differently by conflict theory?
6.    Conflict theory would likely identify what as the driving force behind competitive sports?
7.    Why, according to the author, are many beginning sociology students may be uncomfortable with a conflict analysis of sports?
8.    What is an interactionast perspective and what kinds of issues do interactionist theories emphasize?
9.    What kinds of issues are likely to be emphasized in critical/feminist perspectives on sports?
10.  What is figurational theory and how does it explain the popularity of modern sports?
11.   Which theories tend to be preferred by the author of the text?

Chapter 3: Studying the Past
1.    Generally speaking, what was the nature of most physical activities of people during prehistoric times?
2.    What are characteristics are found within the people who have been most influential on sports throughout history?
3.    When did ancient Greek athletes do in response to the growing political significance of Greek games?
4.    In what ways do Greek contests and games of old differ from organized competitive sports today?
5.    Romans who criticized spectacle sports in the own communities generally based their criticisms on what?
6.    What were the major influences on games played by local peasants in Medieval  Europe?
7.    Through most of the medieval period, the most popular sports events were designed to accomplish what?
8.    To what does the term “Renaissance man” generally refer?
9.    What impact did the growth of Calvinism and Puritanism during the Protestant Reformation have on games and sports in Europe and North America?
10.    How were games and sports during the Enlightenment Period (1700-1800) distinctly different from organized sports today?
11.    During the early days of the Industrial Revolution, sports participation among urban workers was largely limited to what kinds of activities?
12.    What were the meaning and purpose of early definitions of amateur in the U.S. and England?
13.    How did organized sports and/or recreation activities for boys and girls differ around the turn of the century (1900)?
14.    Why were sex-integrated sports programs and activities discouraged in the early 1900s?

Chapter 4: Sports and Socialization
1.    How does the author define the term socialization?
2.    Upon what three things (sets of variables) does the functionalist approach to socialization focus?
3.    Chris Stevenson’s study based on collected stories from elite athletes about their sport experiences concluded that becoming an elite athlete involves what             key concepts?
4.    What are the key processes underlying one’s involvement in, and staying involved in sports?
5.    In the summary of Coakley's analysis of "burnout," why do elite young athletes drop out of a sport?
6.    According to the author, when are people who retire from sports most likely to have problems?
7.    What are the characteristics of power and performance sports and why do these tend to dominate sports today?
8.    What do pleasure and participation tend to emphasize?
9.    According to Gary Alan Fine’s study of little league baseball players, what do the socialization experiences of the preteen boys who played little league  
       emphasize?
10.  What did the research by Patti and Peter Adler on a big-time intercollegiate men's basketball team reveal in terms of their view of the world?
11.    According to an analysis of sports and society based on Antonio Gramsci’s ideas, why are sports important social phenomena?
12.    What is the “language of sports” based on and how might it influence decisions to participate in sports?

Chapter 5: Sports and Children
1. How has the trend toward privatization affected youth sport?
2. Programs that emphasize overall participation and are most inclusive tend to have what  type of sponsorship?
3. What evidences are there that children reject highly structured, adult-controlled sport programs?
4. What do adult-controlled, formal sports tend to emphasize?
5. What are youth most concerned about in formal, adult-controlled sports?
6. According to the author, when are children "ready" to play organized competitive sports?
7. What is "beehive" soccer and why does it occur?
8. When are family relationships damaged through participation in youth sports?
9. According to research by Patti and Peter Adler, who is more likely to participate in informal and alternative sports?
10. What are the major goals identified by the author related to recommendations for change in youth sport programs?
11. What legal considerations should be taken into account when considering changes in high performance sports programs for children?
12. Under what kinds of conditions are organized sports programs "worth the effort?"

Lapchick:  Youth Sport: Saving the Children
1. What ethical boundaries were crossed by the coach of the team opposing the Diamonds?
2. How did the umpire not involved in the game react to the efforts of the coach to manipulate the outcome of the game?
3. How well did the youth players cope with the alleged injustice of the game?