Stereotyping of Athletes A Product of Social Construction
Stereotyping is a social phenomenon that greatly impacts the entire world. ... However there is a social process involved in the construction of stereotypes and it is important that we examine this process to learn how stereotypes are created, sustained, and altered. One common group of people often stereotyped is athletes, especially African American athletes. Through exploring the social construction process, it will become clear that social interaction constructs and reinforces the stereotyping of athletes in our society today. In order to comprehend the social construction process, it is necessary to understand the three aspects of the social constructionist theory. ... Secondly attitudes, beliefs, personalities, and feelings are constructed from social and cultural ways of interacting with others and thirdly; language is very important in the construction of social life. One key concept of the social construction process is the idea of practices and resources. ... The primary stereotype has been that athletes are “dumb jocks” and this has also helped to produce the stereotype of the “dumb Black” athlete. ... ” While African Americans may represent the majority of athletes in some sports, they are not the majority in every sport. ... Another example of the “dumb Black athlete” stereotype can be seen in an article from The Social Science Journal, which tries to justify the rude stereotype. According to this article, “The assumed athletic superiority of Black athletes is a convenient rationale for the lesser athletic performance of Whites. ... ” However, what is clear from both examples is that these opinions have been formed by the process of social construction. The stereotype itself and both examples I gave are clearly products of the social construction process because they fulfill the three aspects of the social constructionist theory. ... Secondly, attitudes, feelings, personalities, and beliefs like the “dumb jock” stereotype are constructed and maintained from social and cultural ways of interaction. ... Personality and behavior are also a key part of the practices and resources concept which is very important in the construction of the stereotype. ... Another way of looking at this concept is resources like the stereotype itself, personal beliefs, and media messages are used by people to engage in practices like a conversation with stereotypical statements about “dumb athletes.