Editorial

Volume 5, issue 2

This edition marks the second ‘special issue of sosol (the first being Volume 2, issue 1, on the ‘sociology of coaching’), and explores aspects of the broad field of race, gender and sport, and related points of intersection. I am very grateful for the insight, work and personal contribution of Dr John ‘J.R.’ Woodward in developing the concept of this special edition and for being responsible for its construction. Although it wasn’t my intention to present a thematic edition at this time, when J.R. approached me with the notion of doing one along the suggested lines, I was immediately sold on the idea. Working with J.R. also proved very easy, with difficulties being met and overcome with the minimum of fuss. Thanks.
Robyn Jones

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Editorial: Race, gender, and sport

 JR Woodward
Montana State University

One of the exciting and liberating characteristics of the sociological study of sport, is its relatively recent emergence in the broader field of sociology.  The lack of an all encompassing, overarching theory to “hang its hat on” has allowed for a diversified approach to the study of sport, both theoretically and methodologically.  Within this frame of reference, two particular areas have received heavy sociological focus within the sport world: issues of race and gender. 

As Coakley (1998) has pointed out, there is probably no area within the sociology of sport that has been more popular in the past decade for social scientists than that of gender relations and construction in sport.  How and why has sport traditionally been defined through the experiences of men?  Is the power balance in sport shifting to allow for more participation for women, at all levels of sport?  Has increased participation for women athletes resulted in increases in women administrators?  With the recent discussions surrounding the 30^th anniversary of Title IX of the Educational Amendments of 1972 (which called for equal representation for women in athletic programs of schools receiving federal funding), it is likely that the issues surrounding gender will remain a focal point of sport research for quite some time.

In addition, racial issues have consistently taken on great importance in sociological investigation, and the analysis of sport is no exception.  Indeed, there has been a rich and interesting set of works aimed at understanding the multi-faceted racial dynamics in modern sport.  A short list of topics that have been investigated in this area include the socialization of athletes from different racial groups, the image of African American athletes, race logic in the United States, explanations of supposed athletic dominance of certain groups in certain sports, and the stereotypes associated with athletes of different races (Sailes, 1998).  As with gender, we have every reason to believe that the study of race in sport (as well as in society as a whole) will continue to be a hot topic among academics in the years to come. 

With that in mind, this collection of articles and research attempts to contribute to the dialog on race and gender in sport.  The articles point to a myriad of “issues within the issues” related to this exciting sub discipline.  The diversity of these articles can be witnessed through the contributions that each makes to the burgeoning field of sport sociology.  The issue begins with Stanley and Plaza’s insightful content analysis of collegiate football team photographs. At issue for the authors is what these photographs can tell us about the creation of camaraderie and masculinity.  They point out and discuss trends in how the structural changes of collegiate football have had an impact on how men define themselves as football players within a changing structure of intimacy and masculinity, in terms of each other as players, but also in the player/coach interaction.

Dependency among wives of professional athletes is a main theme in Ortiz’s study.  When a professional athlete is traded to another team this causes a dramatic change in the day-to-day life of not only the athlete, but also his wife and family.  Life needs to be transferred, often in its entirety, to a completely new city.   The selling and buying of a home, new schools for the children, new friends, and the like are all side effects of this occupationally generated move, over which the wife typically has no control.  Ortiz examines the coping strategies these women use, as well as the costs it has on their mental and physical well-being.

Gender and race are combined as themes in the work of Douglas.  Using a cutting edge analysis of “meta-language”, she examines perceptions of Serena and Venus Williams.  What is the cultural meaning, as well as the political significance of their arrival at the top echelons of the women’s professional tennis tour?  Douglas determines that the over emphasis on race can serve to obfuscate the ways in which race interacts with other power-laden identifiers, such as gender, class, and sexuality. 

The special edition closes with an analysis of professional football draft publications.  Woodward’s writing is concerned with the phenomenon of stacking athletes of particular races in certain positions of football.  Of interest here is whether or not professional scouts use language that focuses on mental strengths of white athletes and physical abilities of African American athletes.  Is there still a legacy of the “dumb jock” tied into race; i.e., are African Americans seen as physically gifted but lacking intellectually, while white players are still lauded for their intelligence and decision making ability? 

It is the hope of those contributing to this special edition that these studies will move the dialog on race, gender, and sport forward.  By addressing these issues, it is hoped that further analytical and theoretical doors will begin to open and expand to new and exciting areas of research.

References

Coakley, J. J. (1998).  Sport in Society (6^th Edition).  New York: McGraw-Hill.

Sailes, G. A. (1998).  African Americans in Sport.  New Brunswick: Transaction Publishers.

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