large-scale participation surveys
Order Description
This is a deliberately broad question that should allow you to explore in" rel="nofollow">in depth one of the main" rel="nofollow">in topics we cover in" rel="nofollow">in the module. You will need to narrow the scope of your essay by focusin" rel="nofollow">ing on a sub-theme within" rel="nofollow">in one of these broad topics. Below are a very few examples of more ‘bite-size’ essay topics. These are illustrative only. There is no need to do any of these; they are here just off the top of my head as possible sub-topics within" rel="nofollow">in the broader topics. We will have a dedicated semin" rel="nofollow">inar in" rel="nofollow">in Week 4, by which time you should, as a min" rel="nofollow">inimum, have chosen your topic, read around a little bit and started to narrow your scope to a specific question.
Social class
Critically assess the use of large-scale participation surveys to develop policy around sport
and social class.
- This would in" rel="nofollow">involve a close examin" rel="nofollow">ination of the data used in" rel="nofollow">in current policy around sport participation. Are the data fit for purpose? What are alternatives? What might the data not capture? Are the defin" rel="nofollow">initions of participation appropriate? What about data measurin" rel="nofollow">ing social class, or social capital?
Critically assess sport policy designed to in" rel="nofollow">increase access to voluntary sports clubs from people who are not traditionally members.
- This might in" rel="nofollow">involve a close examin" rel="nofollow">ination of policy developed and implemented by e.g. Sport England to encourage openness in" rel="nofollow">in voluntary sports clubs. How does the policy in" rel="nofollow">intend to work? What have been its in" rel="nofollow">intended and unin" rel="nofollow">intended consequences? What are the experiences of people within" rel="nofollow">in voluntary sports clubs (e.g. the article for follow-up readin" rel="nofollow">ing from Week 2 focuses on this issue in" rel="nofollow">in tennis clubs)?
Critically assess the policy within" rel="nofollow">in sport of seekin" rel="nofollow">ing to in" rel="nofollow">increase participation among specific ‘target groups’ (e.g. people from lower social class backgrounds). Does this ‘problematise’ the target group?
- This might in" rel="nofollow">involve a critical review of policy around ‘targetin" rel="nofollow">ing’ – settin" rel="nofollow">ing this in" rel="nofollow">in its temporal context and its wider socio-political context. How do such policies work? What are the rationales that underpin" rel="nofollow">in them? What is the evidence of their success/failure? Do such policies ‘problematise’ target groups and ignore structural barriers?
Gender
Critically assess the practice of female athletes appearin" rel="nofollow">ing in" rel="nofollow">in glamour magazin" rel="nofollow">ines. Is this empowerment, or a re-emphasisin" rel="nofollow">ing of traditional gender roles?
- This might in" rel="nofollow">involve analysis of media portrayal of female athletes. You could look at femin" rel="nofollow">inist theories around sport and gender and how they might apply to this particular issue.
Critically assess the in" rel="nofollow">involvement of women in" rel="nofollow">in decision-makin" rel="nofollow">ing structures within" rel="nofollow">in sport.
- This might in" rel="nofollow">involve a brief history, puttin" rel="nofollow">ing the contemporary situation in" rel="nofollow">in its temporal context. How has legislation affected women’s roles? What are the claimed effects of more female representation (e.g. in" rel="nofollow">increased participation rates, better decision-makin" rel="nofollow">ing processes)? Are the rationales for it in" rel="nofollow">instrumental (i.e. a means to an end), or normative? What evidence is there for its effects? What are the in" rel="nofollow">intended and unin" rel="nofollow">intended
consequences of policy in" rel="nofollow">in this area?
Critically assess the policy within" rel="nofollow">in sport of seekin" rel="nofollow">ing to in" rel="nofollow">increase participation among specific ‘target groups’ (e.g. women). Does this ‘problematise’ the target group?
- This might in" rel="nofollow">involve a critical review of policy around ‘targetin" rel="nofollow">ing’ – settin" rel="nofollow">ing this in" rel="nofollow">in its temporal context and its wider socio-political context. How do such policies work? What are the rationales that underpin" rel="nofollow">in them? What is the evidence of their success/failure? Do such policies ‘problematise’ target groups and ignore structural barriers?
‘Race’/ethnicity
Critically assess the policy within" rel="nofollow">in sport of seekin" rel="nofollow">ing to in" rel="nofollow">increase participation among specific ‘target groups’ (e.g. young black males). Does this ‘problematise’ the target group?
- This might in" rel="nofollow">involve a critical review of policy around ‘targetin" rel="nofollow">ing’ – settin" rel="nofollow">ing this in" rel="nofollow">in its temporal context and its wider socio-political context. How do such policies work? What are the rationales that underpin" rel="nofollow">in them? What is the evidence of their success/failure? Do such policies ‘problematise’ target groups and ignore structural barriers?
Critically assess the self-images of black male sports people. Have black athletes in" rel="nofollow">internalised domin" rel="nofollow">inant racialised sport discourses as self-knowledge? (There is a brief discussion of this on page 76 of Giulianotti’s (2005) Sport: A Critical Sociology. You could expand, follow-up the references, look up other articles, etc.)