John J. Coakley on the Sociology of Sport

Have you ever been walking through a department store and noticed someone watching you; or have you ever noticed how some friends act different around other friends? Sociology is the study of these and other social behaviors and how people interact with others in groups. The sociology of sport is seen as a subdivision of sociology where the main focus is on the relationship between society and sport. There are many ways to analyze the sociology of sport. One way is to look behind what society sees as real to see if things are really as they seem. Another way to analyze the sociology of sport is to objectively look at other views to gain another perspective. Also, a researcher could analyze the sociology of sport through a more scientific viewpoint by gathering information or by experimenting and then analyzing the information. The cultural analysis framework is yet another method to analyze the sociology of sport. It divides into two phases: the analytic and synthetic phases. In the analytic phase researchers would review such factors as the norms and roles of society and individuals. In the synthetic phase researchers would review other factors such as institutions and social classes.

In Coakley's analysis of the sociology of sport he describes the differences between sociology and psychology and he also explains how sports directly and indirectly affect a variety of areas in human lives. The basis of his analysis, what everything in his analysis refers back to, is a list of major goals. These goals are the starting point to understanding the sociology of sport.

The first goal in Coakley's list is to understand the relationship between sport and family, education, politics, media and religion (Coakley, 10). Co...

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... sport is important because it helps society learn more about human behavior and the setting in which these behaviors occur (Coakley, 13).

Works Cited

Berger, Peter L. Seeing Ourselves: Classic, Contemporary and Cross-Cultural Reading in Sociology. Eds. John J. Macionis, and Nijole V. Benokraitis. 6th ed. Upper Saddle River: Pearson Education, 2004.

Coakley, Jay J. Seeing Ourselves: Classic, Contemporary and Cross-Cultural Reading in Sociology. Eds. John J. Macionis, and Nijole V. Benokraitis. 6th ed. Upper Saddle River: Pearson Education, 2004.

Landis, Judson R. Sociology: Concepts and Characteristics. 11th ed. Stamford: Thomson Learning, 2001.

Mills, C. Wright. Seeing Ourselves: Classic, Contemporary and Cross-Cultural Reading in Sociology. Eds. John J. Macionis, and Nijole V. Benokraitis. 6th ed. Upper Saddle River: Pearson Education, 2004.