bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The customers' view of PR people
Authors: Cowley Valerie
Published: March 2007

Increasing efforts are being made to try to improve the image of public relations. But negative pictures persist. This is an excerpt from a researzh project which examines public relations practice as perceived by UK journalists.
The downward view from Olympus
Authors: Kaiser Robert G.
Published: March 2007

The issue debated at a Ditcbley Foundation conference in February this year was deceptively simple: what future is there for quality newspapers? Aside from the semantic argument over the definition of quality, a clear division soon emerged. In broad terms it split the American (and German) contingent from the British. The Americans accused the British of debasing the concept of a serious, quality press. The Brit broadsheets were partisan and, by extension, had abandoned veracity; they were too ideological, too personalised and too trivial; comment intruded into news reporting. In short, to use the phrase which recurred throughout, the British press was guilty of "dumbing domn."

The British responded by pointing out the differences between the USA and Britain: diversity of titles, intense and continuous competition for readers and lack of profitabilaty of almost all serious papers. There were also profound cultural differences which meant that the two sets of audiences have diverse expectations. Some of the Brits thought American papers bland, boring and elitist, deciding what their readers should read.

The BJR has invited two of the protagonists from either side of the Atlantic to write about their differing approaches to quality journalism: Robert Kaiser, Managing Editor of The Washington Post, and Peter Stothard, Editor of The Times.
An analysis of Wernicke's original case records: his contribution to the concept of cycloid psychoses
Authors: Pillmann F. , Arndt T. , Ehrt U. , Haring A. , Kumbier E. , Marneros A.
Published: March 2007

In order to compare Carl Wernicke's psychiatric system with his clinical practice we conducted an analysis of historical case notes. All 889 preserved records at Halle University Hospital from the time of Wernicke's directorship (1904-1905) were quantitatively evaluated, including diagnostic, demographic and clinical features. We focused on three diagnoses specific to Wernicke's nosology: 'motility psychosis'. 'anxiety psychosis' and 'expansive autopsychosis due to autochthonous ideas'. These three entities were further developed by Kleist and Leonhard into the concept of cycloid psychosis. We set out to ascertain whether the three 'Wernickean' diagnoses can justly be regarded as predecessors of cycloid psychosis. The findings show that motility psychosis and anxiety psychosis can be regarded as predecessors of cycloid psychosis only with reservations. The demographic features resemble those of cycloid psychosis, but there was considerable overlap with other disorders, especially between anxiety psychosis and organic disorders and between motility psychosis and deteriorating psychotic disorders. Expansive autopsychosis was mainly diagnosed in the context of neurosyphilis and shows little resemblance to cycloid psychoses.
Prosper Despine's Psychologie naturelle and the discovery of the remorseless criminal in nineteenth-century France
Authors: Verplaetse Jan
Published: March 2007

At the end of the nineteenth century criminal anthropologists often referred to the French philosopher and psychologist Prosper Despine (1812-92). His three- volume collection of remorseless criminals Psychologie naturelle (1868) supported the popular claim that most criminals were born without a moral sense. In this paper I will show that the intellectual agenda of this so-called pioneer of criminal anthropology opposed the ideas of Lombroso, Ferri and Lacassagne. I argue that Despine's remarkable collection of criminals without a moral sense goes back to his ambition to build a new 'natural psychology' that could save most spiritualist dogmas.
Erotomania: a conceptual history
Authors: Berrios G.E. , Kennedy N.
Published: March 2007

Four historical convergences are identified in the history of erotomania. According to the first, which lasted from Classical times to the early eighteenth century, erotomania was a 'general disease caused by unrequited love'. According to the second, erotomania was a disease of 'excessive physical love (nymphomania)'; this view remained active well into the nineteenth century. The third convergence focuses on the view that erotomania is a form of 'mental disorder', and this was held throughout the twentieth century. The fourth and current definition (a development of the third stage) sees erotomania as a 'the delusional belief of being loved by someone else'. Differences between Anglo- Saxon and French views cast doubt on the meaning or coherence of the much- abused English eponym 'de Clérambault syndrome'. Erotomania is a construct, a mirror reflecting Western views on spiritual and physical love, sex, and gender inequality and abuse. On account of this, it is unlikely that there will ever be a final, 'scientific' definition rendering erotomania into a 'natural kind' and making it susceptible to brain localization and biological treatment.
Karl Jaspers as a Kantian psychopathologist, I The philosophical origins of the concept of form and content
Authors: Walker Chris
Published: March 2007

This paper is the first of a series examining the legacy of Karl Jaspers' psychopathy within Immanuel Kant's theory of knowledge. The debt in which Jaspers' philosophizing stands to Kant's philosophy has often been pointed out, although there is no systematic study. The debt in which Jaspers' psychopathology stands to Kant's theory of knowledge has never been previously noted. This paper situates Kant's theory of knowledge between the empiricist theory that knowledge is the exclusive product of sensory input and the rationalist theory that knowledge is the result of innate and necessary structures of thinking. It is this middle course which allows Kant to develop his two-stem theory of form and content. This is the philosophical origin of the distinction of form and content within Jaspers' psychopathology. The paper goes on to briefly examine Kant's theories of scientific knowledge and of metaphysics which rely on the regulative use of the Ideas of reason. The use of the Ideas of reason within psychopathology will be the topic of a sequel paper.
An outline of the development of psychiatry in Greece
Authors: Ploumpidis D. , Evans N.J.R.
Published: March 2007

Psychiatry was introduced into Greece in the second half of the nineteenth century. It developed as a medical specialty between 1880-1930. The fundamental characteristics of psychiatry in Greece are: (a) the discontinuity in the introduction of scientific knowledge; (b) the important position of the private clinics; (c) the delayed organization of the public sector.
Statism, Social Policy and the Middle Classes in Greece
Authors: Petmesidou Maria
Published: March 2007

This article discusses welfare policy and the trends of development of public expenditure and the social budget in Greece in the post war period. Particular emphasis is given to the expansion of income transfers during the 1980s under the conditions of economic recession. An understanding of the relationship between the state and civil society in Greece is crucial for explaining social policy developments. Our analysis focuses on the strong grip of politics on civil society, which constitutes a major aspect of Greek statism and contributes to an increased fragmentation of social demands and conflicts.

The main argument of this article is that the growing size and political weight of the middle classes since the mid-1970s intensified social fragmentation and the contradictions of Greek statism, and made it more difficult to achieve any consensus about social policy aims. Public expenditure and the social budget increased significantly during the 1980s, as a result of presstrre from various middle-class strata, yet no major changes occurred in the logic of the distribution of social provision. Competition among the middle classes for access to political power and the state apparatus intensified, and this put severe limitations on the possibilities of any reforms aimed at redistribution on the basis of social need.
Social Policy On Tomorrow's Euro-Corporatist Stage
Authors: Vobruba Georg
Published: March 2007

The European Commission's Green and White papers on Social Policy try to promote social security as a precondition of the further success of the European integration. A Euro pean Social Policy is seen as an important con tribution to improve the public acceptance of the European Integration. The article starts with an analysis of the political effectiveness and limitations of this argument. A closer analysis shows that the proposals in the Green and White papers are not entirely clear. They vacillate between supporting full employment and introducing a basic security system. This can be seen as a first reason for the particular selective European Social Policy which is pre dicted in the article. The analysis of the main socio-political actors on the European level underpins this prediction. The important role of the social partners - as targeted in the Green and White papers - combined with the absence of a functioning central political actor (anal ogous to the state on the national level) will result in a specific kind of selectivity, which produces a relatively poor socio-political out put on the European level.
The 'Southern Model' of Welfare in Social Europe
Authors: Ferrera Maurizio
Published: March 2007

This article tries to identify some common traits of the welfare states of Italy, Spain, Por tugal and Greece, with special attention to in stitutional and political aspects.
Social Assistance in Oecd Countries
Authors: Gough Ian , Bradshaw Jonathan , Ditch John , Eardley Tony , Whiteford Peter
Published: March 2007

This article presents selected results from the first comparative study of social assistance across all 24 countries of the OECD. The scope of social assistance, discussed in the first section, is drawn to include all means-tested benefits in cash and kind, including those which provide benefits to higher income groups. The second section then presents in formation on the main programmes in each country, expenditures and groups of beneficia ries, trends over time, administrative struc tures, and operation of means tests. It concludes by developing a new measure of assistance benefit levels with which to evaluate different countries' systems. The third section distils from the country differences eight pat terns, or 'assistance regimes', varying from the limited, discretionary, decentralized models of Switzerland and Norway to the extensive, national, rights-based programmes of the English-speaking world; and from the relative generosity of Scandinavia and Australia to the low, marginalizing benefits of the Mediterranean countries and the USA. The last section turns to the economic pressures and political debates which are driving con temporary policy changes. The concepts and empirical data presented here will enable means-testing, targeting and selectivity to be brought back into the comparative study of European and wider welfare systems.
Ireland's Place in the Worlds of Welfare Capitalism
Authors: Cousins Mel
Published: March 2007

Much recent study of welfare states has fo cused on (1) the development of typologies and (2) theories explaining the development of welfare states.
Albanian and Polish Undocumented Workers in Greece: a Comparative Analysis
Authors: Lazaridis Gabriella , Romaniszyn Krystyna
Published: March 2007

This article deals with the migration of undoc umented workers from Albania and Poland to Greece. Its underlying assumption is that mi gration from the former post-communist countries to Greece is not a homogeneous phenomenon, thus allowing for a distinction and comparison between the migration waves from Poland and Albania to Greece.
Societal Impoverishment: the Challenge for Russian Social Policy
Authors: Standing Guy
Published: March 2007

The economic and social reforms instigated in the Russian Federation since 1991 have been widely depicted as a success or as setting the framework for success. This article draws on various official and unofficial data to show the depths of poverty, inequality and distress that have been involved, including evidence on de clining life expectancy, rising morbidity, the erosion of schooling, lack of social protection and mass unemployment. The article is in tended to show that nobody could call, or should be allowed to call, the reform a success. There should be much greater concern internationally and nationally to give social protection a greater priority and to restructure social policy so as to address the societal im poverishment that has occurred.
Childhood in the Somali Context: Mothers' and Children's Ideas about Childhood and Parenthood
Authors: Dybdahl Ragnhild , Hundeide Karsten
Published: March 2007

Mothers (n = 20, mean age 30 years) and children (n = 23, mean age 10 years) in Mogadishu, Somalia were interviewed regarding their ideas about childhood and par enting. The main features of the context focused on (a) sources of difficulties and joy, (b) what is seen as good child-rearing and how a child should be, and (c) the value of children for mothers. Both mothers and children stressed the importance of obedience, hard work and contribution to the bousehold from children. Women valued children highly and wanted many children. They emphasised children's physical needs. Chil dren stressed the authority ofparents and the wish for improved material conditions. The values and beliefs of the mothers and children were closely related to important direct goals in their everyday lives and the living conditions, child rearing practices and ideas were closely related.
Coping with Global Change: The Need for Different Values
Authors: Singer Peter
Published: March 2007

The dominant world civilization today is based on the pursuit of more and more material wealth. With the loss of faith in religion and in communism, there are few counter-models to the view that this is the goal of our existence. But this pursuit of material wealth is coming into conflict with the capacity of our global ecosystem to remain stable. Energy consumption is linked with the production of green house gases, and this will lead to changes in climate that will be disastrous for many people. At the same time, we have good evidence that the pursuit of material wealth does not lead to happiness, either individually or collectively. For these reasons it is time to reconsider our fundamental values. I argue that we can live in a way that is both more meaningful and fulfilling for ourselves, and more sustainable for the world, if we abandon the pursuit of affluence and consciously adopt the living of an ethical life as a goal.
Dance and Sport
Authors: Ingram Anne
Published: March 2007

The purpose of this study was to survey a dance oriented ocupational interest group as to: nature of involvement, father and mother occupational status of dance oriented persons, perceived motivation why people dance, and beliefs concerning differences between dance and sport.

A questionnaire was distributed to 220 members of the Modern Dance Council of Washington, D. C. which is composed of dancers, dance teachers, choreographers, artists in related fields, or persons interested in helping to expand the role of dance. The hypothesis was that dance and sport differ and that the motivation for dancing differs from the motivation for participating in sports. The method of in vestigation was to collect descriptive information by use of a questionnaire.

A limitation of the study is that it investigates one dance subculture. Since research tends to support the view that persons in certain sports, such as fencers, have different characteristics from football players: it is probable that ''modern'' dancers belong to a specific and, in some ways, unique dance sub-culture.
Physical Culture — Past and Present
Authors: Krawczyk Zbigniew
Published: March 2007

This article deals with the problem of the influence exerted by tradition on the aspect of physical culture being created at present and the significance of the con temporary value system for the reconstruction of the history of man's motor activity.

Depending on the methodological approach to history researchers of physical culture in each new epoch embark on a controversy regarding the shape of tradition in the sphere that interest them. This situation was caused by the fact that problems of our times cannot be solved without a fundamental correction of the retrospective picture of social reality. In addition to this, history always functions as a collection of arguments in favour or against proposals of social change. Finally each new social force tries to find confirmation in history for its own programme of action. That is why there are such diversified attitudes in regard to historical experience in the field of physical culture.
American Drama and Ritual: Nebraska Football
Authors: Deegan Mary Jo , Stein Michael
Published: March 2007

Football is a major sport in the United States because of its dramatic enact ment of social values of violence, bureaucracy, sexism, and commercialism. The spec tators of this game are particularly enthralled in the state of Nebraska. Here, a state with a large geographical area and a small, predominanty rural population, the fans have elevated Nebraska fottball to a significant ritual and source for iden tification. As avid supporters they dress in the team colors, red and white; partici pate in pre- and postgame celebrations; travel great distances; and emotionally express their loyalty and dedication to "Big Red.''

By combining the dramaturgical perspective of Erving Goffman with Victor Turner's concepts of liminality and communitas, we have a theoretical framework for analyzing and evaluating cultural dramas in modern society. Nebraska football as a dramatic ritual, then, reveals its creative and destructive roots in American society.
Positional Segregation in Professional Baseball: Replications, Trend Data and Critical Observation
Authors: Curtis James E. , Loy John W.
Published: March 2007

The results of previous studies of "stacking" by race in U.S. professional baseball are juxtaposed. The findings give several replications of the results recently reported for a more modest data base by Medoff (1977) in this Review. The comparative find ings show: (a) that there has consistently been a "stacking" pattern, of an under- representation of Blacks at central playing positions and an over-representation of whites at these positions, regardless of the time period studied since 1956; and, (b) that there has been an increase in the proportions of Blacks (to whites) within nearly all types of positions through time. However, when the proportionate distributions of Blacks across types of positions are looked at for different time periods the findings suggest that, if anything, Blacks' rates of attainment of central infield positions have declined somewhat. Medoff's argument that "an economic hypothesis" is the most plausible interpretation of recent trends in recruitment of Blacks is rejected for rea sons of evidence limitations and methodological problems in his research design.
Social and Cultural Conflict in Sport and Games in Developing Countries
Authors: Adedeji J.A.
Published: March 2007

The cultural awareness among people from developing countries has sparked off the consciousness about what they used to condemn in the past. This may be due to the influence of technology which has removed the past barriers and has brought them closer by narrowing their communication gap.

- The reawakening among people in developing countries has contributed towards the rejection of the practice of experimentalist theory which stresses values that yield results having cash values. It is often forgotten that a nation is not built by material resources alone.

There are some countries among the developing countries, that now apply the principle of "peaceful co-existemce'' by placing emphasis on the teaching of indigenous activities along with sports from the western countries. There is a need for a new educational system since the rejection of the universal Christian values which some people have branded as the main source of the social conflict.
Competition, Cooperation, and Fair Play
Authors: Nelson Katherine , Cody Carolyn
Published: March 2007

Sport in America is receiving much criticism for its emphasis on competition, which is blamed for encouraging dishonesty, violence, and dehumanization. Some critics suggest the elimination of athletics and replacement with cooperatively struc tured activities as a solution. In effect, competition and cooperation are being seen as opposites. However, this article analyzes competition and cooperation as separate social processes and points out that they are not opposites, but each is necessary for meaningful sport experiences. In addition, competition without cooperation is shown to result in conflict, leading to the problems described above. Based upon this anal ysis, it is suggested that competition and cooperation share a symbiotic relationship which must remain intact for fairplay to occur. Fairplay is thus described as resulting from a balanced emphasis on competition and cooperation. Pratical suggestions for maintaining this balance then illustrate its applicability to current sport programs.
The Value Orientations of Finnish Sport Leaders
Authors: Heinilä Kalevi
Published: March 2007

This paper reports findings from a recent survey based on the national sample of 1666 Finnish sport leaders with particular reference to the preferences of values defined in terms of cui bono—for whom/what—according to the modified Blau- Scott formulation. These preferences of value orientations, considered as source of norms for the leadership behavior in sport organizations, are also related to other ideological conceptions of sport leaders, e.g. to the normative conceptions of "the right way" to practise sport, to the national priorities of sport events, to the concepts of democracy and the role of sport audience. In the correlational analysis two fundamental ideological orientations to sport were induced: the hu man-centered vs. society-centered type of orientations.
The Occupational Attainment of Former College Athletes: A Comparative Study
Authors: Dubois Paul E.
Published: March 2007

The widespread belief that sports participation can serve as a stepping stone to later occupational succes was investigated. The athletes studied consisted of the entire population (N=160) of senior males from the three San Francisco Bay state universities. A comparison group (N=450) of senior male nonathletes were randomly selected from the same institutions. Data was gathered via mailed questionnaires. Multiple regression was used to analyze the effect of the test variable "athletic status" on the dependent variables "occupational prestige" and "earnings". Control variables included the respondents' education, age, ethnicity, academic average, years of work experience and father's occupational prestige. The analysis indicated that athletic status had no significant effect (p < .05) on the dependent variables. It was furthermore determined that there were no significant differences in terms of occupational attainment between athletes who are members of ethnic minorities and minority nonathletes, white athletes and white nonathletes. It was concluded that, for the type of athletes investigated, little support can be given the belief that sports serves as a stepping stone to later occupational success.
Structure of Sport Policy in Finland
Authors: Olin Kalevi
Published: March 2007

The purpose of this presentation is to describe the sport political system in Finland. For the first, it is proper to mention that the range of consideration is large in nature. Therefore, main attention is paid to the functions and struc ture of sports. Thus along with the private and public sectors of sports the pre sentation follows the lines of historical, present as well as future approach.

From the international point of view Finnish sports has unique features. Re search results show Finland to stay among those nations actively participating in sports and physical activity. In fact, Norway seems to be clearly ahead of Finland which, in part, is quite even with Canada. Belgium and Japan are next in order (Laakso, 1977). In addition, there are more sport organizations in Finland than in many (some are stating than any) other country in the world. Of course, then the calculation is in relation to the amount of population.

Furthermore, it seems that the connections of sports and the society around differ from those in several other countries. This refers, for example, to the fact how politics as an institution is reflected in sports. Sport is considered as a part of social policy.
Trend, Dynamics and Characteristics of the Advancement of Physical Culture of Adults and Seniors
Authors: Petrovič Krešimir
Published: March 2007

The results presented in this paper are excerpts and a synthesis of three studies (1973, 1976, 1980) concerning adults and seniors' physical activity in Slo venia, one of the Yugoslav republics. A notable increase in the number of physi cally active adults and seniors was noticed in this period. In all three studies a universal physical program has emerged encompassing: swimming, mountain eering, skiing and cycling. This program was practicaly independent of age. These activities seem to be most favoured, probably require least organization and are applicable to any age group. All three studies showed two marked drops in physical activity - by 40 and 50 year-old people. The 1976 study had also a third drop at the age of 25, which vanished in the 1980 study.

A big improvement is evident in female physical activity. A small group of activities has emergad, which women seem to prefer, especially since the whole family can participate. These results have both, a theoretical and a practical value. They call for a more suitable physical culture policy for adults and seniors. Camparisons can also be made with similar studies in other countries and par allels drawn.
The Occupational Mobility of Professional Athletes
Authors: Houlston David R.
Published: March 2007

A career as a professional soccer player in Britain has a restricted timespan; it is only a short-term occupation. In view of the time commitment, dedication and involvement required in a professional soccer career, very few players in the contemporary professional game are encouraged or are motivated to continue to pursue educational studies or alternative occupational experiences in preparation for a post-playing career occupational position. Considering the limited worth of professional soccer skills outside of the professional game organization, pro fessional players may be without a serviceable occupational skill and employment position at the termination of a professional soccer-playing career. The study was directed at testing the broad hypothesis that former professional soccer players in Great Britain will experience downward occupational mobility at the conclusion of their professional playing careers. In addition to the basic premise and as a result of the examination of previous literature, the study incorporated the gathering of data on four dimensions of occupational mobility and their relationship with the general findings. The mobility mechanisms selected were social recognition; alternative occupational training; level of educational attain ment ; and social status background.

The results supported the general hypothesis showing that former players experienced downward mobility, in terms of occupational status and income level, at the conclusion of their playing careers (42 out of an N=52). Subsequent analysis of the findings when correlated with the four mobility dimensions in dicated that the occupational status of the soccer player was subjectively based and this had only short term effects on future occupational mobility. The objective dimensions, education and occupational training, were not generally encouraged during playing careers by clubs since they were considered interferences. Con sequently only 28% (15 out of N=52) had pursued educational or alternative occu pational training during their playing careers.

The study did not attempt to explore personal, psychological and sociological consequences of the changing status of the former players. This form of analysis is a logical progression for future research. However, a number of case studies indicated that former players do experience difficulty in adjusting to a new life- style.
Sport Participation in Latin America
Authors: Wagner Eric A.
Published: March 2007

This study has three purposes. First, it compares the organization of sport in two rather different Latin American countries. Belize has primarily an English heritage, plays soccer as its major sport, and has been shown to be fairly re presentative of Caribbean plantation societies (Cross, 1979). Still partially de pendent on Great Britain, it is hoping to achieve full independence in 1981. Nicaragua, independent for generations, has a Spanish heritage, plays baseball as its major sport, and is fairly representative of a Central American society. Second, data are presented to show the levels of participation in sport by the people of these two countries. The intent here is to show what percentage of the population actually participates in various sports. (Data are not available to show interest in sports, or those who are non-participatory fans.) Third, a brief com parison is made of sport participation in Belize and Nicaragua, and these levels of participation are placed in an international context.
Sociological Research and Sport Practic
Authors: Wohl Andrzej
Published: March 2007

An analysis of sociological research on sport and theoretical works in this sphere, conducted in the past in this respect indicates that though such research has today already a relatively broad range of subject matter and deals more and more thoroughly with everyday reality in sport, it nevertheless exerts still an insignificant influence on sport practice.
Changes of Violence in Sport
Authors: Pilz Günter A.
Published: March 2007

In the course of a development sociological analysis the question is asked, if violence in sports in the course of civilization process increases or decreases. The seeming contradiction between the thesis of decrease of violence in sports and the thesis of increase of violence in sports is solved by differentiating between expressive, pleasant, affective violence on one hand and instrumental, affectless, rational violence on the other. It can be seen that within long term development trends in society of increasing control of affects and monopolizing violence, ex pressive violence in sports is more and more repressed, tamed, i.e. compared to earlier forms of sports expressive violence in sports today has decreased. On the other hand change of sports towards success orientation, increasing economical, political, and public significance of sports leads to an increase of instrumental violence in the sense of a consciously planned, aggressive rule violation in the interest of higher aims. In contrast to this an analysis of development of female sports shows - because of the change in power balance between sexes, the change of female behavior standards - that in female sports as well an increase of instrumental as of expressive violence can be noted in the sense of an ad justment process to general social violence standards.
The Status and Style of Life of Polish Olympians after Completion of their Sports Careers
Authors: Pawlak Anna
Published: March 2007

The private and professional lives of 240 out of a total of 838 Polish Olympians who participated in the Olympics from 1948 to 1972 were studied in detail. Different types of relationships between educational advancement and a career in sport are outlined. Three types of former Olympians are described with reference to the way in which they perceive their role as athletes and representatives of the Polish society. Former top athletes retain a high social status and engage in notable activities in social and cultural life. The tendency to compare the current social position with that attained as an Olympian permeates all spheres of life.
Football Hooliganism in Britain before the First World War
Authors: Dunning Eric , Murphy Patrick , Williams John , Maguire Joseph
Published: March 2007

This paper summarizes some preliminary findings of a three-year research project carried out at the University of Leicester. It discusses and partially refutes the theoretical explanations of football hooliganism as advanced by Taylor and Clarke. Based on historical research and a content analysis of selected reports of football hooliganism before the First World War, the paper shows that, contrary to common opinion, football hooliganism is by no means an entirely new phenomenon. It also examines the sociological implications of this finding and suggests that the major sociological explanations of football hooliganism offered so far will have to be substantially revised.
Sporticuous Consumption: An Analysis of Social Status Symbolism in Sport Ads
Authors: Renson Roland , Careel Chris
Published: March 2007

A survey was made of all the ads which appeared in twenty six different magazines in Belgium over a one year period. All ads using a sport theme to promote a consumer product were analyzed according to 1. magazine related characteristics, such as: circulation, the social class of readers, price etc.; 2. sport related characteristics such as: social status position, the number of participants, contact/non contact type etc. and 3. consumer products advertised in the ads.

The interrelationship between the three sets of variables: magazines — sports — consumer goods — was investigated. From the results it appeared that the established social stratification theories cocerning the sport scene were strikingly consistent with the social stratification constellation patterns found in 1. the social characteristics of the sports featured in the ads, 2. the social position of the magazines in which they appeared, 3. the social status or prestige of the consumer products advertised. This symbol analysis of sport ads does not provide substantial evidence for speculative theories on 'subliminal' techniques in the advertising business. The results rather reveal a direct approach to promote conspicuous consumerism among potential 'status seekers' through 'sport persuaders'.
The Sports Scene and the Pop Scene: A Comparative Structural-Functional Analysis
Authors: Tolleneer Jan
Published: March 2007

This paper intends to explore parellels between two expressions of popular culture: spectator sport and popular music. Emphasis is put on the analysis of the socio-cultural functions of both popular phenomena. It is argued that the appeal of the sports scene and the pop scene for Western society is related to the fact that both manifestations have specific mythological, ideological, ritual, play and escape functions as well as aesthetical functions. Both the sports scene and the pop scene can be seen as important elements of the socialization process of young people. The exploration of the socio-cultural functions of the sports scene and the pop scene is preceded by a structural analysis of the two social subsystems. It was also revealed that both products of popular culture are consumed on a large scale and that they play a functional role in the leisure pattern, especially in the leisure hchavior of youth.
How the Print Media Affect Sports and Violence: The Problems of Sport Journalism
Authors: Weis Kurt
Published: March 2007

In the research on the influence of the media it is generally assumed that the presentation of violence in the media promotes violent behavior. However, there is no empirical evidence of how this takes place. Problems in sport reporting concern particularly its journalistic self- understanding, its understanding of sport and its presentation of violence. This paper discusses the low prestige and the great influence of sport journalists, and reports on the results of research on the literature on sport and violence in the print media. The search for profit-increasing captions and texts leads to overemphasis of the unusual and scandalous. Unfairness and aggressiveness on the part of successful athletes, as well as spectator violence, are accentuated and appear normal. Here reporting reflects a development to which it itself contributed.
Contested Rules: An Explanation of How Games Change
Authors: Kew Francis
Published: March 2007

Games such as basketball, hockey and different codes of football change their rules frequently, but little is known of the particular interactive processes through which such changes are impelled. Building upon an earlier ethnomethodological perspective on games- playing, an explanation is offered which conceives rule changes as the unintended and unanticipated outcome of the interaction between groups who have different interests in the games-playing process. Rule changes are impelled because game legislators (rules committees) do not and cannot wholly anticipate the ways in which their legislative action will be interpreted by game-players and by coaches. To explain how games change, the rules need to be understood as both the medium and the outcome of the interaction processes amongst interdependent interest groups.
The Social Consumption Fund as Main Financing Resource for Physical Culture and Sport in the G.D.R
Authors: Strietzel Dagmar , Heigel Eveline
Published: March 2007

The authors attempt to characterize the most essential financing resources for the development of physical culture and sport in the G.D.R. They concentrate on such resources which are essential for the development of mass sport and which are supplied by the social consumption fund. Therefore, they describe the exact financial mechanisms underlying the government budget, socialist enterprises and combines and social organizations. Using the example of the basic financing resources of the enterprises, it becomes clear that the combines, enterprises, and institutions participate in various ways in the creation of prerequisites for the mass sport. The legal obligations of the governmental and economic authorities and the necessary cooperation of all who are responsible for the continuous development of physical culture and sport are especially stressed.
The Sociology of Amateur Sport: An Overview
Authors: Eitzen D. Stanley
Published: March 2007

This paper examines the amateur ideal to assess whether it is possible in today's sportsworld. The first section presents the defining characteristics of the amateur. The second reviews the dominant themes in the sport literature regarding the amateur ideal: (1) amateurism as a mechanism of class hegemony; (2) amateurism as exploitive ideology; (3) amateurism as an anachronism; and (4) amateurism as a citadel of purity. The final section of the paper examines amateurism in the contemporary context. The argument is that elite amateur sport has moved beyond the amateur ideal to become corporate sport. At another level, however, amateur sport thrives. Questions are raised that should guide future research on these true amateurs.
Aborigines and Positional Segregation in Australian Rugby League
Authors: Hallinan Christopher J.
Published: March 2007

Researchers have found the existence of positional segregation in North American and British sports in which an overrepresentation of black players existed. Data gathered for the 1987 and 1988 seasons are presented as a test of the 'stacking' and outcome control hypotheses in NSW rugby league, where an overrepresentation of Aborigines clearly existed. It was found that the most likely position to be played by an Aborigines as one which supports the population stereotype. As well, analysis of match videotapes and tackle counts revealed that Aboriginal positions had the least involvement of any field playing position. These results lend support to the notion that positional segregation may be likely in team sports for all anglocentric societies.
Sports in a Risk Society
Authors: Digel Helmut
Published: March 2007

Tchernobyl affected sports. Its health-supporting functions were turned to the contrary by the dangers resulting from practising sports in a contaminated and polluted environment; hence (polluted) nature endangers sports. Sports, however, also endanger and damage our natural environment. Subsequently, sports have to go about making sincere efforts to find solutions for the environmental problems created by them.
Physical Exercise Policy and the Welfare State: A Framework for Comparative Analysis
Authors: Harvey Jean , Beamish Rob , Defrance Jacques
Published: March 2007

This paper sketches out a framework for the comparative analysis of physical exercise policy within the context of the development of the welfare state. The term "physical exercise policy" is used here to refer to specific policies pertaining to the body which were geared towards the fostering of "physical fitness" and specific sport practices. The first section presents general considerations for comparative analysis. Section two discusses a "Society-State" framework. The concluding section presents directions for further studies. Historical examples are used to illustrate major points in the proposed framework.
Stacking in Professional American Football: Implications from the Canadian Game
Authors: Stebbins Robert A.
Published: March 2007

Stacking, a form of ethnic segregation peculiar to the world of team sport, is alive and well in the 1990s more than twenty years after its scientific discovery in 1970. Although it has become one of the most widely studied topics in the sociology of American sport, cross- cultural data are still extremely rare. Two quantitative comparisons of this nature were made of Canadian and American football in the 1950s and 1960s which, however, are now rather dated and which lack player views on stacking. A new comparison is presented based on qualitative data gathered in 1983 and 1984. It demonstrates that there are dramatically different stacking practices in Canada, practices with implications that pertain to stacking of all kinds and to stacking in internationally expanding American team sport.
Modernity, Morality, and the Logic of Competing
Authors: Heikkala Juha
Published: March 2007

The collectively irrational composite effects of athletes' self-interested choices are exemplified in the so called doping-dilemma. In top-sport this dilemma characterizes the change from local communality to global and commodified sports markets creating action systems which are predominantly success oriented. Value-rationally neutral action systems give rise to the dilemma, dutifull morality is replaced with self-interested behavior. There is no institutional practice of solving these conflicts by the actors themselves. Thus arises the weak legitimacy of the norms of the ideology of sport. The suggested solution is a contractarian approach which relies on Habermas' concepts of communicative action and discursive will-formation. However, the problem is that modem forms of life do not support the communality crucial to this solution. Specifically in top sport the problem is that self- interest is justified within the logic of competing. The rationality of competing does not support the cooperation needed for the proposed solution. The structural nature of the doping dilemma is therefore emphasized.
Fair Play or Fair Game? Child Sexual Abuse in Sport Organisations
Authors: Brackenridge Celia H.
Published: March 2007

Feminist perspectives in sport research have helped to problematise gender relations in sport and to highlight dominating behaviours such as sexual harassment. It is argued that the independent status of many voluntary sport organisations helps to protect coaches from the scrutiny of certain state regulations and, consequently, offers easy targets for indivi duals with sexual motives. The paper sets the problem of child sexual abuse in sport within this broad context of organisational accountability and raises issues for both research and professional practice.
Reasons for Participating in a Serious Leisure Career: Comparison of Canadian and U.S. Masters Swimmers
Authors: Hastings Donald W. , Kurth Suzanne B. , Schloder Monika , Cyr Darrell
Published: March 2007

For Canadian and United States Masters swimmers we examined how career contingencies (age, sex, familial status, and stage of swimming experience) were linked to benefits derived (personal and social rewards - importance of reasons for participation) from their pursuit of this serious leisure sport career. From questionnaire data on convenience samples of Masters swimmers, Canadian (337) and U.S. (363), we identified reasons for adult participation in competitive swimming, measured the relative importance of reasons, and ascertained whether the relative importance of reasons varied by age, sex, familial roles, or swimming experience. A factor analysis of 25 reason statements extracted six factors (sociability, achievement, fitness, skill development, enjoyment, and tension release). A series of regression models specified which career contingency variables were linked to each reason and whether differences existed across samples. In sum, Canadian and U.S. swimmers generally endorsed similar reasons for participation. U.S. swimmers assigned greater importance than Canadians to achievement, fitness, and tension release. For the career contingencies: fitness, sociability, and enjoyment were important to females; all ages viewed fitness, achievement, skill development and sociability as important; and stage of swimming experience was linked to relative importance assigned to skill development and achievement.
Media Sports as a Social Substitution Pseudosocial Relations with Sports Figures
Authors: Weiss Otmar
Published: March 2007

The aim of this paper is to describe the communicative situation of sports in media as a pseudosocial relationship which the recipients have towards the athletes. It will be shown that this surrogate communication functions on the basis of the identification and symbolic effect of those values and norms systems which prevail equally, both in sport and society. It will also prove that sport is outstandingly appropriate for symbolic transfer, as its culture- specific action pattern (in the context of social value structures) shows itself particularly clearly and definitely. Reducing complexities to the level of "outdoing others" in the set framework of the rules of various sports, facilitates communication through the media with the public and makes sport a central source of "life motivation" and social gratification. In addition, media sports serve as an institution of release for the recipients.
Sports Fans, Athletes' Salaries, and Economic Rent
Authors: Morrison Rodney J.
Published: March 2007

Many fans in the United States are increasingly distressed by the fact that spectator sports, one of their favorite recreational activities, are just another commercial enterprise. They attribute this state of affairs to the greed of professional athletes, a charge they often make without any understanding of the concept of economic rent, a major component of the salaries received by those who play professional sports. This note demonstrates the relevance of the principle of economic rent to the salaries paid professional athletes. The paper places the remuneration of professional athletes within the wider context of the entertainment industry and explains athletes' salaries from the standpoint of labor supply and demand and investment in human capital. It addresses the issues of monopoly and monopsony and the existence of quasi-rents in the short run and pure economic rent in the long run. The paper ends by noting the key role derived demand plays in determining the salaries of professional athletes. Ironically, the source of that derived demand is the fan, the individual so distressed by the commercial nature of professional sports.