KIN1000 Final EXAM PDF

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KIN1000 Final ExamDelphin Manzi Department of Kinesiology, York University KINE1000: Socio-Cultural Perspectives in Kinesiology Prof. Hernán E. Humaña Tutorial Leader Alix Krahn - A April 12, 2020Our realities are predicated on the relations between our thoughts, experiences, interaction with our en...

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KIN1000 Final Exam

Delphin Manzi Department of Kinesiology, York University KINE1000: Socio-Cultural Perspectives in Kinesiology Prof. Hernán E. Humaña Tutorial Leader Alix Krahn - A1 April 12, 2020

Our realities are predicated on the relations between our thoughts, experiences, interaction with our environment and how they all influence with each other. It is inevitable that one or more of these factors differ in relation to other members of society, leading to the conclusion that our realities are subjective and personal. For this reason, there exists an abundance of dichotomies between the privileged and the oppressed; men and women, rich and poor, majorities and minorities, all whom experience the world in different and polar ways. Over the fall and winter terms, this course’s paradigm has been to elucidate the origin and significance of these social inequalities and demonstrate on a cultural and institutional level, its impact on the world of physical activity. Furthermore, I will illustrate the ways in which the course’s paradigm is relevant to 3 specific units: Critical Thinking and Thinking Critically, Race and Racism, and Indigenous sport and health. In order to fully grasp the essence of this course, it is important to understand what it means to critically think. More specifically, in regard to sociological processes, critical thinking is the selfreflection on present-day power dynamics, the subjectivity of norms and the significance of social context. Additionally, while engaging in this reflection, the clash between and structure and agency becomes more apparent. Agency is often defined as the freedom to choose and act. In contrast, structure is defined as the social factors that constrain our freedom to choose and act, limiting our choices. It is this battle which allows for societal change and shifts of a paradigm. For instance, in the 1950’s, the United States’ structure was heavily racist and exclusionary towards colored people. This continued injustice created a revolution known as the civil rights movement where some of society’s agents chose to coalesce and work towards a common goal; ending legalized racial discrimination. Subsequently, that structure was modified, and black people were rightfully afforded their freedoms under the law for present and future generations. Furthermore, where there is oppression, there is privilege. Intentionally or not, those privileged are often in favor of keeping the status quo and dismiss the perils of the oppressed since it is beneficial for their social group. That is why this course is so important, it allows both the oppressed and the privileged to be aware of the subtle yet gruesome social realities, forcing them to question how much moral responsibility they have to eradicate these inequalities and enact social change.

The concept of race is malleable and subjective. What western culture deems as white today was not always the case. During the 19th century, the Italians and the Irish were considered swarthy and nonwhites in North America but are now included in the white demographic, reinforcing the notion that race is a social construct. Historically, it is a fairly new concept to separate people based on their physical appearance and attribute distinct and meanings to these differences. The way it is used in modern society is often as weapon to support bigoted beliefs with “empirical” evidence. One theory is that these distinctions were created and publicized to rationalize discriminatory and oppressive behavior. The idea that black people were inherently inferior was necessary for the white members of society to feel that their actions or non-actions were morally justified. Though slavery was abolished in the late 1800’s, the social implications of those injustices are rampant in our world. Similarly, this course’s paradigm revolves around social constructivism and the ways in which we create our own realities through our societal experience. More specifically, in the athletic world, race plays a major part in reinforcing certain stereotypes. For instance, the athletic superiority of the black athlete, while heavily perpetuated in our society, is easily debunkable when examining the tremendous genetical similarities shared across humanity and the environmental implications of athletic performance. It is then important to question why this has ideology even exists. Looking at how the media portrays the black athlete, it is evident that they are more often referred to as animalistic and barbaric, especially in the NFL. One could say that this ideology stems from the days of slavery where black people were viewed as savage and sub-human. The intent of these pundits may not be malicious, but the effect is definitely detrimental to the progress of eliminating social inequalities. Moreover, this course illustrates the inter-sectional effects of race as a social construct and its influence on our perception of reality. The history of Indigenous people in Canada is long, dreadful and has prevalent social implications today. Present-day Canada hosts a number of measurable inequalities towards Indigenous communities like the disproportionate suicide rates and the abundance of boil water advisories, both longterm effects of colonialism. Colonialism was the violent displacement of Indigenous people from their land, culture and communities. This was achieved through assimilation, expansion of territories and

genocide. Similar to the plights of African American slaves, Indigenous people were denied fundamental human rights like the right to your own spiritual beliefs and culture, creating distinct power imbalances in society. These discrepancies led to the hegemony upheld by colonizers towards the oppressed Indigenous communities. In order to limit the amount of resistance coming from Aboriginal communities, colonizers enforced assimilation tactics like residential schools whose aim was to isolate children from their families and forcefully instill “civilized and Christian” values. The last residential school to be closed was in 1996 Saskatchewan, demonstrating how recent these atrocities took place. The repercussions can be observed in the aforementioned inequalities but also, the social attitudes toward Indigenous people. In relation to this course’s paradigm, the sports world enables cultural appropriation, the exploitation of one’s culture by a more dominant culture. This is shown through the numerous mascots of Indigenous figures found across all major sports. It is sadly ironic that these people were viciously stripped of their identities and culture only for it to be utilized by oppressors for commercial gain. This course elucidates the importance of acknowledging such inexcusable acts during colonization and its effects in order to decolonize our society, shifting the paradigm to a more accepting and fair treatment of Indigenous people in our society. In conclusion, the paradigm of this course proves to be prevalent in 3 particular units: Critical Thinking and Thinking Critically, Race and Racism, and Indigenous sport and health. Notably, the encouraged awareness on the social realities of all individuals, past and present, and its implications on the world of physical activity are all encompassed in distinct ways across such units. Moreover, in a secondary effect, students are encouraged to question their social responsibilities in stopping the perpetuation of cyclical inequalities in our society. As students progress into the workplace, their careers in kinesiology will force them to viscerally face these disparities and taking this class allows for preparation and self-reflection on how to act in their presence. In brief, the teachings the faculty has provided the student body are hopefully not taken for granted and contribute to progressive shifts of our paradigms....