Michael A. Messner's Article: Boyhood Organized Sports

The influence of sports activities on boys’ identity and socialization experience remains a major interest in gender studies today. Michael A. Messner wrote an article called Boyhood, Organized Sports, and the Construction of Masculinities. The article examines the way sports focus and define what it is to be a masculine, studies variation in sports’ influences across social classes, and depicts lessons sports participation impacts for relationships beyond sports. Each area Michael A. Messner examined directly relates to three key concepts of psychology theories. The concepts consist of observational learning (social learning), conformity, and social identity. The research methods in the article are also a major factor contributing to the

This is simply leaning that occurs through observing the behavior of others. The article examines the way sports focus and define what it is to be masculine. Many interview subjects when asked why or how they first got involved in playing sports reported that it was just thing to do or even said, “I was a natural”. Let’s clarify something; there is nothing natural about throwing a ball through a hoop 36 foot away nor is there anything natural about hitting a baseball thrown at 98 miles per hour and hitting it with a 32 inch bat. Playing sports may feel “natural” to some, but you must be exposed to it first before mastering the skill. This exposure can come from an early age of observing other peer or family influences playing sports and learning their behaviors. Of course, a boy can be born with amazing hand-eye coordination, but this does not predispose him to a career of hitting baseballs any more that it predisposes him to a life as a brain surgeon. By listening to the men interviewed in the article, it became clear that their adoption of self definition of natural athlete constructs their masculinities, and observation learning from exposure to sports subconsciously influenced decisions to play

This is a compliance of behavior that is socially accepted by certain standards. Conformity is where an individual abides by what it expected of them based off of their own circumstances. The article studied variations in sports’ influences across social classes. In the article, both higher and lower status backgrounds were somewhat similar while discussing early attraction to sports. Despite some similarities, differences explained the tendency of males from lower-status backgrounds develop higher levels of commitment to sports careers. In the article, a man spoke on his NFL career with high regards, but shockingly had a passion for something other than football. He stated that he once had a love for playing the drums, and at an early age dreamed of becoming a professional drummer in band someday. His family could not afford a drum set so instead he settled for a cheap football. In return he chose to conform to his economic misfortune and created a new dream of becoming a NFL football player. On the other hand, a thirty-two year old white college athletic director reported he had seen his chance to pursue a professional baseball career as “pissing in the wind” so in return focused on his education. This man conformed to his economic opportunities such as a college degree and chose a life in education. Social classes and economic backgrounds have a lasting impact on an individual’s conformity due to the limitations or opportunities provided