Ideology of professional athletes is not a new phenomenon, but as the benchmark for professionals is becoming stratospheric, are we putting undue and unrealistic pressure on developing athletes? Dr. Jay Coakley, Meg, and Dr. G start an important dialogue around professional ideology.

Does society glorify professional athletes? Listen as Dr. Coakley points out the benefits and costs to the community of sport due to the emphasis placed on professional sports.

We all live in our own worlds. We create our own individual realms in which we choose to live in, but what role does sport play in these realms? Dr. Jay Coakley defines sport sociology as “the study of social worlds that people create, maintain, and change over time through their interaction with one another through sport.” However, what influence do factors such as gender, race, and social class have on sport as a whole? What influence does sport have on these factors in return?

Tune in to hear Meg and Dr. Coakley dive into the hard-hitting question on the benefits as well as disadvantages of sport and society through a sociological lens. Coakley sheds light on the effect of elite athletics, a monoculture within sports, the great sports myth, and why sport sociology matters!

TIPS & TOPICS (identify phrases and scientific or applied concepts that would catch the listener’s attention and provides value)
Sport Psychology
Sport Sociology
Monoculture
Dr. Jay Coakley
SPKN
Sport Organization
Levels of sport
“Study of social worlds”

LINKS & RESOURCES
For some additional reading and wisdom from Dr. Jay Coakley, purchase any of his books here!
https://www.amazon.com/Books-Jay-Coak...

RELATED RESEARCH
Coakley, J. J. (1990). Sport in Society: Issues and controversies (No. Ed. 4). CV Mosby Company.

Coakley, J. (2011). Youth sports: What counts as “positive development?”. Journal of sport and social issues, 35(3), 306-324.

Coakley, J. (1992). Burnout among adolescent athletes: A personal failure or social problem?. Sociology of sport journal, 9(3), 271-285.

Dorsch, T. E., Smith, A. L., Blazo, J. A., Coakley, J., Côté, J., Wagstaff, C. R., ... & King, M. Q. (2020). Toward an integrated understanding of the youth sport system. Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport, 1-15.

Coakley, J. (2021). The future of sports and society: a reflection and call to action. In Research Handbook on Sports and Society. Edward Elgar Publishing.

Harrison, C. K., & Coakley, J. J. (2020). Hip-Hop and Sport—An Introduction: Reflections on Culture, Language, and Identity. Sociology of Sport Journal, 37(3), 166-173.

McPherson, B. D., Curtis, J. E., & Loy, J. W. (1989). The social significance of sport: An introduction to the sociology of sport. Human Kinetics Publishers.

Giulianotti, R. (2015). Sport: A critical sociology. John Wiley & Sons.

Sage, G. H., Eitzen, D. S., & Beal, B. (2013). Sociology of north American sport (p. 464). Paradigm Publishers.