UNIT-IV

Sociological Foundation
 Physical education & sports as a need of the society.
 Sociological implications of Physical Education and
Sports.
 Physical activities and Sports as a men’s cultural heritage.

Sociological Foundation
Sociology defined as the scientific study of society. It is a social science which provides body
of knowledge about human social activity. It’s about Study of people, groups, institutions, human
activities in terms of social behavior, and social order within society. It concerned about institutions
in society such as religion, family, government, education, and leisure.

Human being is a social animal by nature. Its mean he loves live with people, work with
people. Physical education and sports fulfills this need and desire. physical education and Sport can
be seen to provide a useful way of creating an environment in which people can come together to
work towards the same goal, show respect for others and share space and equipment.

Physical education & sports as a need of the society

The need of physical education and sport in society has been discussed for many years.
Physical education and Sport is a part of society as both an educational contest and an entertainment
enterprise. Physical education and Sport forms part of human and social development; it can
contribute to social cohesion, tolerance and integration and is an effective channel for physical and
socio-economic development. Physical education and sport can be a powerful medium for social and
economic change: it can be utilized to bridge cultural gaps, resolve conflict and educate people in
ways that very few activities can. Physical education and Sport help people to Emotional release
Affirmation of identity, Social control, Socialization, Agent for change, Collective conscious,
Success and many sociological benefits such as :-
1) Value of physical education and sport: physical education and Sport is a means of exchange
and understanding among people of various backgrounds, nationalities or beliefs, and promotes

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 expression beyond traditional barriers. The rules of the game transcend differences and inequality
and help redefine success and performance. Through sport, people identify new role models in
society.
2) Physical education and Sport demographics and health: Physical activity has a crucial social
impact on society’s health and well-being as well as healthcare costs. A connection also exists
between being physically active and living a healthy lifestyle. But as the Western world grows
older, sport must reinvent itself to deal with this demographic shift.
3) Physical education and Sport and education: physical education and Sport provides not only
health benefits for young participants but also instills qualities such as team work, discipline and
a competitive spirit that prove valuable in adulthood. It therefore warrants a prominent place in
the educational system.
4) Physical education and Sport and politics: physical education and Sport and politics often go
hand- in-hand. Events such as football matches and the Olympic Games can be vehicles for
improving understanding between countries.
5) Physical education and Sport and economic development: physical education and Sport can
contribute to economic development by creating additional sources of income including the
manufacture of sporting goods, the development of sport related services and infrastructure or the
hosting of sports events.
6) Physical education and Sport and social entrepreneurship: An opportunity to build sport
social entrepreneurship that fuels both social change and job creation exists. This can be driven
primarily through the emerging hybrid of entrepreneurship and the NGO movement.

There are number of benefits of physical education and s ports but there is another side of
physical education and sport also:
The increasing monetary and partisan nature of sport means that it can potentially give rise to
violent and illegal activity or transactions that may not be in a community’s interest. Examples- :
include violence between athletes or spectators, the use of performance enhancing drugs, or the
bribery and ownership of clubs by individuals who are motivated by non-sporting factors.

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Sociological implications of Physical Education and Sports
Social implications of Physical Education and Sports In terms of the social aspects of child
and youth development, there are three main areas that have been under consideration:

ATTACHMENT AND COMMUNITY BUILDING

The role of Physical Education and Sports in attachment has shown to be strongly linked to
building social cohesion and social capital among young people and adults in communities. Physical
Education and Sports has been used as a practical tool to engage young people in their communities
through volunteering, resulting in higher levels of leadership, community engagement and altruism
among young people.
Positive peer relationships between young people are encouraged Physical Education and
Sports is considered a key aspect of how physical activity can contribute to social inclusion among
young people.
Social attachment also relates to offering equal opportunities to Physical Education and
Sports programme regardless of gender, ethnicity or ability. There is increasing attention on
programme development both in and out of schools for example, to include girls, people with
disabilities and refugees.

CHARACTER-BUILDING
The reasoning is that moral behavior is acquired through social interaction that occurs
through Physical Education and Sports activity conducted in a collective. Whether or not sport has a
positive impact on character-building in an individual is highly dependent on the context of the
programme and the values promoted and developed.
In this respect, physical education teachers, coaches, trainers or community leaders have a
determining influence on a young person’s sporting experience and on the degree of 'character-
building' that can arise. Physical activity outside of competitive sport may be more effective in
promoting mutual understanding and empathy among young people.

CRIME AND COMMUNITY SECURITY

Research suggests that Physical Education and Sports can be used as a means to reduce
abnormal behavior among children and youth. But participating in Physical Education and Sports
activity does not directly impact on abnormal behavior. Accordingly, programmes should combine
sports and physical activities with leadership and job-skills development and training to tackle risk
factors in children and youth.

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The majority of Physical Education and Sports programmes that target antisocial youth aim to act as
either:-
1. Diversions for antisocial youth away from other antisocial youth or behaviors.
2. Rehabilitation activities for those previously involved in antisocial behavior.
3. Gateways to engage the target group in sport in order to establish relationships with authority
figures, social services, educational programmes and marginalised groups.
‘Gateway’ programmes seek to address the underlying risk factors for crime involvement, early
school leaving, and other social problems that contribute towards misbehavior by providing ‘at risk’
youth with access to social and job-skills training, education programmes and/or leadership
programmes.

Physical activities and Sports as a men’s cultural heritage

Most of the Physical activities and sports, expressions of native cultures and ways of life
contributing to the common identity of humanity, have already disappeared and those that are
surviving are threatened of imminent disappearance and extinction under the combined effect of
globalization and harmonization of the rich diversity of world sport heritage. Traditional Games and
Sports then become an added value in terms of cultural comprehension and mutual tolerance both
within the community of nations and between them, and therefore contribute to the edification of a
culture of Peace. Sports and games are part of intangible heritage and a symbol of the cultural
diversity of our societies. They are also an efficient means to convey values of solidarity, diversity,
inclusiveness and cultural awareness.

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