Sociology 2191A/B Chapter Notes - Chapter 6: Antidoping, Treatment As Prevention, Olympic Symbols

• School: Western University
• Department: Sociology
• Course: Sociology 2191A/B
• Professor: Hamelnick

Document Summary

Defining and studying deviance in sports: three approaches. Difficult to identify deviance when there is a lack of agreement about the importance of various goals. Controlling deviance always calls for policies and programs that increase conformity - assumes that all conformity is a cultural ideal - questionable b/c extreme conformity can be dangerous. Solution - get tough, make punishments more severe, based on the idea that people lack moral character. Solution ignores the influence of powerful social processes in sports, leads people to label athletes unjustly as moral failures - most athletes are hyper conformers. Deviance always assumed to be the result of biased norms and law enforcement processes - how do conflict theorists explain why deviance exists in non revenue producing sports. Athletes seek acceptance from teammates, not sponsors or owners. Unlikely that all deviance in sports would disappear if athletes were in charge.