Nicole M LaVoi.com

One Sport Voice
  • Home
  • About Me
  • Publications
  • Presentations & Workshops
  • About This Blog
  • Media

Reaction to Vonn Sports Illustrated Cover Uncovers More Than Expected

8 02 2010

Now that the reactions to my blog post about the Lindsey Vonn Sports Illustrated cover has waned, I wanted to share some thoughts.

What I have found interesting about the Vonn post, is not that so many disagreed with my critique of the cover, but that many of the comments contained personal attacks and vulgarity. Dr. Marie Hardin of the John Curley Center for Sports Journalism offers some insights about this occurrence on her blog post. I want to take a different slant on the resulting backlash of the Vonn post, as I think it may be representative of a larger societal trend.

I have believed for some time (as have others)  that we as citizens of a democracy have lost the ability for civil, public discussion around issues in which we are in disagreement.

Having a discussion in which multiple points of view are encouraged and respected, people participate responsibly, and the common and equal humanity and dignity of each person is affirmed are some of the civic skills necessary for the continued flourishing of a democracy. The ability to critically think about information, whether you agree or disagree, is also a civic skill.  Many scholars, including Robert Putnam,  have argued that our declining civic skills, civic engagement and social capital (i.e., social organization such as networks, norms, and social trust that facilitate coordination and cooperation for mutual benefit) does not bode well for sustaining a healthy democracy.  I’m concerned that with the growing popularity of social and digital media, that our ability to interact meaningfully, publicly and civilly will continue to erode. What are the implications for our common good, the public good, and our society? What role should sport play in promoting civic engagement?

The institution of sport, particularly sport teams and including sport media, have great potential foster civic engagement. Yet, scarce empirical evidence exists which examines the potential of sport for fostering citizenship, facilitating dialogue, and building community in a way that leads to increased and meaningful participation in the democratic process.

Some scholars, including myself, believe sport teams can provide formative experiences of community, civic engagement, and belonging and are ideally suited for offering a genuine experience of democratic citizenship. Building community, means developing a team where members are committed to the common good, help shape the life of the group, and nurture capacities for citizenship within and beyond the team and themselves. Sports can be a major influence on how youth eventually relate to the broader culture around them. When athletes experience a sense of belonging and feel like a valued and important member of a small community, such as a sport team, it provides a psychological foundation of engagement, obligation and responsibility which, can translate into the potential for active civic engagement. Athletes also learn other valuable skills which are important for civic engagement including, the process of striving for collective goals, tolerance of political, religious, and racial diversity, and negotiation and management of conflict and difference. Sport teams can provide a way for young people to experience and practice shaping a community in the interest of mutual goals and the common good–all important aspects of a democracy. However, the tremendous potential of sports (and perhaps sports blogs!) as a vehicle for promoting civic engagement often goes untapped.

One goal of writing this blog, is to provide a critical evidence-based point of view on a particular topic. I don’t ask readers to agree, but my hope is that readers will consider a different perspective or point of view and engage in respectful debate. I do not wish to silence any perspective, which is why I approved a representative sampling of comments made in response to the Vonn blog. I want this blog to promote dialogue and perhaps build civic skills. Many of the comments were very insightful and interesting, but when the dialogue devolves into personal attacks and vulgarity I become concerned with what this means for us a community and a society at large.


Comments : 9 Comments »
Tags: civic engagement, democracy, dialogue, Lindsey Vonn, Olympics, research, Robert Putnam, sport, Sports Illustrated
Categories : research, sport media, sport sociology


My Upcoming Events

Feb 1, 2011. The Tucker Center Film Festival.

5 Most Recent Posts

  • Holiday Break
  • Go UConn!
  • Predictions on media coverage about UConn Women’s Basketball winning streak
  • Developing Physically Active Girls: A Pecha Kucha
  • Explaining the scarcity of female coaches: Homophobia still pervasive

My Tweets @DrSportPsych

  • RT @elleduncanESPN: Where my #GirlDad ‘s at? https://t.co/IMpuT5pc4B** 1 day ago
  • #SHECANCOACH twitter.com/hoopism/status…** 1 day ago
  • To my Canadian friends! HCD! twitter.com/WCHA_WHockey/s…** 3 days ago
  • This 🛢 MATHS! twitter.com/cretiredroy/st…** 4 days ago
  • So good. twitter.com/Todd_Spence/st…** 4 days ago

One Sport Voice is part of the WTS Network

Subscribe to this blog


Common Blog Topics

My Blog Tags

athletics background anger basketball binary blogs body image coaches coaching science collegiate ESPN ESPN Magazine espnW exercise female athletes female coaches Final Four football gender girls health heterosexism hockey homophobia inequality Intercollegiate Athletics leadership Lindsey Vonn marginalization marketing mother-coach mothers NBA NCAA NCAA Basketball New York Times NFL nutrition obesity Olympics parents physical activity presentation zen professional sport race racism research Semenya Serena Williams sexism sexualization soccer social media sport sport consumers sport fans sport leagues sport marketing sport media sport parents sport psychology Sports Illustrated tennis TIME Title IX Twitter University of Minnesota US Open Wimbledon WNBA women women's basketball WPS WTA youth athletes youth sport

Links

  • Association for Applied Sport Psychology (AASP)
  • Association for Women in Sports Media
  • Canadian Association for the Advancement of Women in Sport
  • Contexts
  • Girl Scouts Research
  • Girls Health
  • Institute for the Study of Youth Sport
  • International Council for Coaching Education
  • International Working Group on Women and Sport
  • Minnesota Youth Sport Research Consortium
  • Mom’s Team
  • National Association of Girls & Women in Sport
  • National Council for Research on Women
  • National Research Council
  • North American Society for Sport Sociology
  • Notre Dame’s Play Like A Champion
  • Policy on Sport for Women & Girls (Canada)
  • Scholarly Sport Sites
  • The Citizenship Through Sport Alliance
  • The Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport (TIDES)
  • The President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports
  • The Tucker Center for Research on Girls & Women in Sport
  • Title IX: I Exercise My Rights
  • U of M Children, Youth and Families Consortium
  • Wellesley Centers for Women
  • Women In Intercollegiate Sport
  • Women Talk Sports
  • Women's Sport and fitness Foundation (UK)
  • Women’s Health Information
  • Women’s Sport Foundation

Blog Stats

  • 105,195 hits


Create a free website or blog at WordPress.com.
Privacy & Cookies: This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this website, you agree to their use.
To find out more, including how to control cookies, see here: Cookie Policy
  • Follow Following
    • Nicole M LaVoi.com
    • Already have a WordPress.com account? Log in now.
    • Nicole M LaVoi.com
    • Customize
    • Follow Following
    • Sign up
    • Log in
    • Report this content
    • View site in Reader
    • Manage subscriptions
    • Collapse this bar
 

Loading Comments...