Sport is one of the aspects of the human experience that have historically played a unifying role. Today, sport is used to promote unity and cohesion. Whereas it is the case that intense competition is among the key features of sport, the goal of sport remains to encourage participants to abandon their difference in pursue a shared objective of peace and warm relations. However, it is difficult to ignore that sport has failed to accomplish its purpose of ensuring peaceful, respect-based relations that reflect the equality of all men. A review of how sport is conducted today show that race-based inequality is rife and must be eradicated at all costs. This paper begins with an outline of the instances of race-based inequality in sport before identifying recent changes that have had impacts on the level of inequality. It then proceeds to present the race-based inequality as a social construction before concluding with an assessment of Guttmann’s argument that equality is a key feature of modern sport.
Race-Based Inequality
Native Americans are among the groups that have endured years of hostile and unequal treatment. This treatment can be seen in American sport today. As Sharrow (2017) observes in her text, many college football teams have adopted Native American names and symbols as their mascots. Many members of the Native American community find these mascots to be an offensive misappropriation of their culture. Essentially, the mascots show that the US has failed to ensure that all cultures are treated with respect and the consideration that they deserve. Racism is another manifestation of race-based inequality in sport. Lapchick (2018) authored an informative article in which he laments that in the recent past, there has been an increase in the number of racist attacks against sportsmen from minority communities. He offers the example of Adam Jones who plays for Baltimore Orioles against whom racial slurs were directed. According to Lapchick, in 2017, the cases of racist attacks in the US stood at 41. This was a significant increase from the 31 incidents that were reported in 2016. The US is not isolated in the prevalence and gravity of racist attacks that players from minority communities endure. Such other nations as England and France have also witnessed similar attacks. Since the attacks are almost always directed at minorities who are called derogatory names, it is evident that race-based system is a problem that sport continues to grapple with today.
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Perhaps the clearest indication of the reality of race-based inequality can be seen in the emergence of activism in sport. Recently, a number of NFL players have been protesting against what they regard as serious violations and inequalities (Bates, 2017). For example, black football players have been kneeling when the national anthem plays as a protest against the mistreatment of fellow African Americans. The insults and hostile reception that their protest has received from fans and such politics as the US president Donald Trump make it clear that race-based inequalities remain a serious problem.
Impact of Recent Changes
A number of changes witnessed in sport are responsible for the increase in race-based racism. The emergence of white nationalism, the increase in racism in general, the more prominent role of sport activism, and the injustices being perpetrated against such minorities as African Americans are among these changes (Lapchick, 2017). Today, an increasing number of athletes are adding their voice to the calls for racial injustice as America is becoming more racist. White nationalism is on the rise and this has been reflected in sport. Furthermore, the killing of unarmed African American men by police officers has galvanized sportsmen to become more involved in activism. Combined, these factors have highlighted the reality of racism in sport.
Inequalities as Social Construction
There is no question that race-based inequalities in sport are a social construction. Cooper, Macaulay and Rodriguez (2017) joined forces to explore the social origins of these inequalities. In their text, they point out that the inequalities have thrived because of deliberate actions to maintain the status quo or failure by concerned stakeholders to promote equality. In essence, these scholars contend that the race-based inequalities are not some indispensable natural phenomenon. Instead, they are a reality that has been created by a powerful majority that is keen on preserving its power and dominance. Nature does not dictate that African Americans and other minorities should be subservient in sport. The inequalities that these communities continue to grapple with are the direct result of deliberate policies and measures that are designed to stifle freedom and perpetuate injustice.
Guttmann on Inequality in Sport
Guttmann (2004) is among the scholars who are recognized for the contribution that they have made to understanding sport. One of the main claims that he made is that sport is inherently equal. According to Guttmann, modern sport offers all individuals equal opportunity to compete. When he issued this claim, it is clear that Guttmann had not witnessed the levels of inequalities that have tainted American sport. As noted above, racial minorities like African Americans face such challenges as racial insults when they participate in sport. These insults make it difficult for them to engage fully in sport. Therefore, it is difficult to describe sport as a platform that offers equal opportunity. Equal opportunity is only possible when the playing field is level and no individual or group encounters hardships that hamper their capacity to participate fully in sport. Therefore, Guttmann’s claim regarding sport as being defined by equality of opportunity is inconsistent with modern sport.
In conclusion, sport continues to unify different people. However, as the increase in the number of racist attacks indicates, sport is facing serious threats in its function as a unifying force. Today, more and more sports people are being exposed to various forms of racism. In addition to slurs, they have also faced condemnation for taking a stand against racial injustice. It is clear that for sport to remain a unifying force, action should be taken to eradicate all forms of race-based inequality.
References
Bates, K. G. (2017). When it comes to race and sports, who owns an athlete’s opinions? NPR. Retrieved March 31, 2019 from https://www.npr.org/sections/codeswitch/2017/10/21/557692016/when-it-comes-to-race-and-sports-who-owns-an-athletes-opinions
Cooper, J. N., Macaulay, C., & Rodriguez, S. H. (2017). Race and resistance: A typology of African American sport activism. International Review for the Sociology of Sport, 54 (2), 151-181.
Guttmann, A. (2004). From ritual to record: the nature of modern sports. New York City: Columbia University Press.
Lapchick, R. (2017). The year in racism and sports. ABC News. Retrieved March 31, 2019 from https://abcnews.go.com/Sports/year-racism-sports/story?id=45035554
Lapchick, R. (2018). Racist acts in the US were on the rise in 2017. ESPN. Retrieved March 31, 2019 from http://www.espn.com/espn/story/_/id/22041345/racism-continued-rear-ugly-head-sports-2017
Sharrow, E. (2017). Social inequalities and the politics of sports in America. Scholars Strategy Network. Retrieved March 31, 2019 from https://scholars.org/brief/social-inequalities-and-politics-sports-america
