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- 1. POPE, C. C., & O'SULLIVAN, M. (2003). DARWINISM IN THE GYM. JOURNAL OF TEACHING IN PHYSICAL EDUCATION, 22, 311-327. Ty;ler Goad and Karl Zang
- 2. Type of, purpose of study/paper, theoretical framework/background • Ethnographic qualitative study – Descriptive study looking at custom/practices • Attempt to understand how urban youth experience sport in a ‘free gym’ setting – During lunch hour and 2 rec centers • Ecological evolution through sport – modified version of Darwin's “survival of the fittest” theory
- 3. Background and significance of study…what did it report to add? • Researchers are ‘tourists’ in the gym – Unable to recognize complexity of social interactions and structure • Long-term observation needed for true understanding – Extra curriculum learning from free gym experiences • Determine how urban youth shape social constructs – before/during/after school (recreational times)
- 4. Setting of the Study • Shady Woods high school free gym – Urban high school in large American city – One-hour free gym during lunch – 65% free/subsidized lunch – 65% African American, 25% Caucasian, 3% Asian American • 90% of those who participate in activities are African American males. – 51% male 49% female – Study took place over 5 months
- 5. Setting of the Study • North side (4x) and Crosstown (2x) Recreation Center – 90-120 min observation – Directly after school or in the evenings – 15-40 high school students
- 6. Analysis Methods • Field notes from observations – Microcassette recorder – Small notebook – Occasional interviews • Log entries – Observational notes – Personal notes – Theoretical notes
- 7. Analysis Methods • Peer Debriefing – Respondents categories • Descriptive review of contextual characteristics • Interpretation of data that supported the emergence of certain themes
- 8. General Findings • Similar social constructs observed at recreational locations. • Basketball was the only game played • If environment was public, intense, or subject to peer scrutiny – Only students who played where the males who were highly skilled. – Participants where aggressive and boisterous – Possessed strong attributes in social skill or “street literacy”
- 9. Findings/Main arguments • Student imposed hierarchy – Determined play in free gym – Mainly pick-up basketball games – 7 categories in lunch-hour gym, similar in rec centers • Bullies – Alphas of the gym – Male, skilled performers – Games filled with trash talk and slam dunks
- 10. Findings/Main arguments • Jousters – Small group of males – Move around gym like ‘nomadic disturbances’ – Antagonized their way into games with disruptive behavior. • Posers – 10 males, seldom participated – Used public forum to showcase physique and strength – Pop their shirts off and wore jewelry • Benchies – 30-40; Usually males, some females – Waited to invited to play or watching classmates play – Played “catch a glance” game
- 11. Findings/Main arguments • Hangers – Even amount of males and females – Used gym as social area – Only watched games if they were “good games” • Venerators – Female version of posers (grades 9-10) – Well Dressed – Worked in groups of 2-4 to get attention of players • Contestants – Skilled and competitive male performers – Took games seriously; 4v4 – Vocal on and off the court
- 12. Conclusions/implications for practice and/or future research • The author concludes that physical educators – be aware that more than sport skills need to be addressed in class. – Educators need to acknowledge impact of street literacy – Take advantage of free gym time to use sport as an educational medium – Suggest that the sport education and social development models are options in promoting inclusive practices outside of the gymnasium in a sport environment.
- 13. Conclusions • “There needs to be a place where interesting programs are available to those who seek health and enjoyment through sport. The challenge for teachers is to ascertain whether the suitability of participant experiences in certain sport forms is meeting the developmental and social needs of many young people. Any effort to enhance the wider sport culture should include paying credence to the experiences young people have with sport.” p. 325
- 14. Questions? • How can we use this knowledge to decrease the impact mis-education of sport in these settings?
- 15. Personal Meaning • Karl- Shows potential of using sport outside PE for socialization and development. Also how that be have negative aspects if not properly monitored. • Flash backs to elementary school – This is how most peer groups were formed.
Editor's Notes
- Street literacy was defined by the author as, “the production of informal knowledge from practices that occur within contexts such as free gym” (p. 344).
- - Bullies: Male upper classmen who spent most of their time “trash talking” rarely participating in a formal game. If not participating then trash talk continued from the sideline often in peer groups that displayed similar characteristics. Play from this segment of the student population increased when the basketball team (Alphas) where away at competition.
- Jousters: A small group of males who instigated confrontation, often times would attempt to disrupt games by stealing the ball, standing under the basket, and punching/kicking players. These students usually did not get picked for games and attempted to antagonize their way into one with disruptive behavior. - Posers: 10 males observed by the author that would take their shirts off in the gym and parade around. -Benchies: 30-40 students that would either sit on the bleachers or post up against a wall hoping to get selected to play in one of the pickup games. Tactics they would often times employ to increase their chances were to have their basketball gear ready to play, stand on the courts when teams where being selected, and attempt to catch eye contact of their peers.
- -Hangers: Males and females that had no desire to participate in the games, but where their simply to socialize. They would only meander out onto the courts if a good game was occurring. - Venerators: Well-dressed girls (grades 9 and 10) who would work in groups attempting to catch the attention of male players by walking up and down the sidelines or baiting them into conversation with taunts. The less attention a male gave them the louder and brasher their behavior would become. -Contestants (Alphas): Students who played the small sided basketball games mostly consisting of African American males (exception of 3-4 girls). Described as vocal on and off the court (confident) and would often times turn small sided games into 1 v. 1 competitions within the games.