Sport has consistently grown and influenced society for hundreds of years. As is the case in many countries around the world, in Australia sport has proved to be a useful tool to promote social integration and build national identities. As a developed country with a structured political and economic system, sport organizations began to develop with the support of the Australian government in funding and infrastructure. Prior to British colonization, Aboriginals were the first to inhabit Australia instituting athletic events based on survival tasks. The environment in which they lived required a high level of physical ability in order to survive. The growth of sport in Australia is notably due to several significant sports moments that have influenced the country’s craving for more sports and high demand for success. The structure of Australian sports organizations help to develop high level of national pride. Track and Field has been one of the most tenured sports in Australia and has assisted in shaping the country’s sports culture. Australia has a long history of sport with a great deal support and success both in international competition and in the growth of domestic sport organizations.
Sport in Australia dates to back to before British settlers colonized the continent. Aboriginals used various recreational activities and games based on survival tasks that were the first known forms of sport in Australia. These survival tasks included climbing in the search for food, throwing accuracy and running for hunting, as well as fighting in training for possible war. The Aboriginals remained devoted to taking advantage of what nature gives them. However, in the late 1700s when Europeans arrived in Australia, the customs and necessary...
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...orld War II in which thousands of immigrants from all over the world significantly increasing cultural diversity. Post World War II was the most successful period for Australian athletes as they won 37 Olympic medals between 1950 and 1970 (Parker). With the continued athletic success over the years, the image of Australia evolved as a result of a government-sponsored campaign called “Life. Be In It” in 1972. This was the start of substantial government involvement in the promotion of sport in Australia. The government’s campaign stimulated a nation-wide movement to promote an active and healthy lifestyle. Eventually the campaigns success led to the development of the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) in 1981. The purpose of the Australian Institute of Sport was to “modernize and develop human performance in local sport” and focused specifically on Olympic sports.
“Indigenous Australian peoples are people of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander descent, who are accepted as an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander person in the community in which they live, or have lived” (Queensland Government, Australia, n.d). Indigenous Australians have made considerable contributions in the field of arts, media, sport, education, politics/government, and history. One of the famous Indigenous person is Evonne Fay Goolagong-Cawley, who has gained name and fame for Australia in the field of tennis on world level. Evonne Goolagong-Cowley’s life, opportunities, achievements and contributions and the ability to rise out of the cultural barriers gave her a unique place in Australian society.
Sport aerobics is a new exiting performance sport, and like any new sport, is seeking recognition and acceptance as a valuable and worthwhile competitive activity. It is said however, that Sport Aerobics will always struggle for popular support because of pre-existing stereotyped views of sport in Australian society. The purpose of this essay is to challenge stereotyped views of sport in Australian society in order to increase participation in Sport Aerobics. To do this a proposed strategy will be implemented at Nambour High School to challenge stereotyped views of sport and breakdown social barriers to the participation in Sport Aerobics. This strategy involves including Sport Aerobics as a compulsory activity in the junior school physical
The presence of activity and sport is found within cultures and societies all over the world, and throughout history. Activity in the form of sport can often be the purest form of expression for a society or individual. The sporting world is often thought to be a microcosm of the actual world with the problems and issues of society still being ever present in the sporting community. Since sport can be used as an expression of self, it is no wonder that sport is often a reflection of the society that it occupies. One such society that was deeply impacted by the role of sport is that of Native American boarding school students in the 1800’s and 1900’s. These students lived tough lives but just like how it had helped other cultural societies, sport was able to provide these students with basic needs of autonomy and pride.
Participation in sports and games has long been a part of Native culture. The most significant example of a sport invented and played by Natives is lacrosse. Lacrosse is still designated as the official sport of Canada despite the overwhelming popularity of hockey (http://canada.gc.ca). Lacrosse was one of many varieties of indigenous stickball games being played by Native Americans and Canadians at the time of European contact. Almost exclusively a male team sport, it is distinguished from other stick and ball games, such as field hockey or shinny, by the use of a netted racquet with which to pick the ball off the ground, throw, catch and vault it into or past a goal to score a point.
" Doris R. Corbett WaynePatterson." THE SOCIAL SIGNIFICANCE OF SPORT. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Dec. 2013.
Lenskyj, H. (1998). 'Inside Sport' or 'on the margins'?: Australian women and the sport media. International Review For The Sociology Of Sport, 33(1), 19-34. doi:10.1177/101269098033001002
Dealing with the issue of sport and ethnology, three major factors come to mind; prejudice, racism, and discrimination. These factors span across gender, ethnic, racial, religious, and cultural groups. In the following paragraphs, I will discuss how these factors have played a part in the evolution of sport in our society. The first issue tackled in this paper will be racism in sports, followed by prejudice and discrimination.
Maynard, J. (2009). Football barriers - Aboriginal under-representation and disconnection from the 'world game'. Soccer & Society, 10(1), 39-56. Doi: 10.1080/14660970802472650.
Marn-grook was a sport played by the some Aboriginal tribes, which had a number of similarities to Australian Rules football including the size of the field, the use of hand and foot, and the distinctive overhead mark (Hallinan 977). It was also reported that Tom Wills, who played a significant role in developing the game, played marn-grook with Aboriginal children, but this claim is unsubstantiated (Hibbins 8). While there is no certain evidence marn-grook influenced the game, it is still possible that precolonial Aboriginal traditions, notably the games they played may have influenced the game. Considering Aboriginal games tested their athleticism and dexterity, skills that are also showcased in Australian Rules football, it could be inferred that the creators of Australian Rules football may have taken this into consideration when creating the sport. The overall lack of support for claims of Aboriginal influence on the sport may be a result of the Aboriginals being seen as lesser than whites; it is possible they did not want the first authentic Australian sport to be associated with the Aboriginals. Recent efforts such as the Mabo case have been made to restore Aboriginal traditions (Hirst 11), which may have spurred recent discussion that Australian Rules football has Aboriginal influence. Even though the claims of Aboriginal influence on Australian
The indigenous people of Australia, called the Aborigines, are the oldest culture found on Earth. Studies show that the Aboriginal genome can be traced back seventy-five thousand years to when this community first migrated from Africa to Australia. As the oldest known continuous culture, their traditions and rituals have thrived even though the world around them has changed so drastically. In this paper I’d like to talk about the history of Aboriginal cultures in Australia, their cultural rituals and how their culture has been so heavily influenced and changed over the last few decades.
1. Introduction Sustainability, as an issue, has been the subject of widespread debate for ages now. While some people cannot associate themselves with the concept, others are too agnostic about the implementation of practices which can result in a win-win scenario for all. Another subset even wonders if the practices itself are sustainable or not. Such different views helps little to achieve the objective, when it is itself difficult to begin with.
Sports have been around for thousands of years. The history of sports in United States began back in the 1840s. United States is a very unique country when we look at its sports, just like every country has a different structure of sports so does US. This paper will be taking about the Sports Organizations and Governance, the sports industry, sports organizations, and Structure of sports in the United States. It will also cover the Sport in the United States vs. Other Western Democracies by taking a look at the State Political, historical context, team objectives, and sports organizations. It will also cover the uniqueness of American sport as well as cover the mass participation and give recommendations on how to increase participation and success.
Sports can help many at- risk youths. In order to participate in sports you need to be committed and willing to work hard. You also have to learn to respect others and accept that winning isn’t the only measure of success. Losing can build character as well. When youth participate in a sports they enjoy, they are less likely to engage in behaviors that are harmful or dangerous to themselves and others. It is for these reasons schools should strive to maintain athletic programs for their students.
Sports may have impacted our culture much more then we thought it would, and keeps impacting. Sports have affected some of the most important aspects of life, such as jobs and money. It has also affected things as little as who we look up to and how we dress. Culture means “the arts and other manifestations of human intellectual achievement regarded collectively.” The definition of sports is “an activity involving physical exertion and skill in which an individual or team competes against another or others for entertainment.” So when we put two and two together we get a a nation or world that has changed due to sports. Back in the mid and late 1900’s sports were used to see whose way of life was better. As time went on and keeps going on, we
Many life lessons can be taught through sports. Children can learn the importance of work ethic, working with others, perseverance, and the list goes on. There are studies that have shown that kids who are involved in athletics are more successful in the business world. It is only when parents turn the sporting events into an ultra-competitive requirement for their child that it can become detrimental. The lessons that sports teach kids about real life is one of the greatest benefits that can be gained from sports. Because so much can be learned through sports we need to make sure that we put focus on teaching lessons through sports rather than making it all about winning. It is a sad when parents turn a great beneficial thing into something that can be harmful for their children.