Introduction
The current culture in sports advocates for more vices than virtues. This is as portrayed by Varda Burstyn in her book `The Rites of Men, Manhood, politics, and the culture of sports.` In a fearless, intelligent, and insightful manner Varda explains how the sport nexus has continued to influence social, economic, and political systems of the current western world. She does this by analyzing how sports emerged as a secular religion that led to a rise in virile patriotism in men promoting vices in our political social and economic systems. She further explores how the sport nexus has affected our social culture by promoting vices like gender inequality, where masculinity is upheld, violence, and homosexuality in the form of homoeroticism.
The political system is affected as a result of the social approach, which has continued to aggravate the social conflict. Economically sports have continued to underpin capitalism through promoting ideologies of competition and ranking and those of overpowering and dominating (Burstyn, 1999 p7).
The world of sports has therefore affected our social, economic, and political systems through propagating the ideologies of masculinity, use of drugs, racism, violence, and capitalism. This review therefore summarizes, analyzes, and criticizes the general argument of Varda and her supporting ideologies in each of the chapters.
Masculinity
Varda asserts that masculinism is the primary ideological core of sport and its culture. Masculinism could be defined as the gender dominance of men. Sports is seen as the origin of this ideology and the main method and way in which it has been propagated over time. Beginning in the classical city of Athens, this ideology has continued to assert an absolute authority of men over women, which now shows itself politically, socially, and economically. In the ancient city of Athens, sports were mainly war games and were practiced by men (Burstyn, 1999, p29). Such war-games included throwing the javelin and wrestling, which are games of dominance and overpowering. This dominance resulted in men being seen as dominant than women, where it catalyzed women being owned by men and not being allowed to own property staying at homes doing house chores.
Varda is correct in her argument that sport is the means through which masculinity has been propagated and affirmed over the years. The sport nexus has continued to portray men sports as superior to women’s, more interesting, and even more dominating. With such views, it also has continued to propagate the virile patriotism of men towards their sports and, thus, masculinity. The sport nexus support of more men games has lead to the notion of women seeming passive in sports and, therefore, passive in all other matters both politically and economically. The dominating nature of men’s game has also led to women seeming somehow weak and, therefore, incapable resulting in lesser inclusivity of women in both politics and wealth making. The sports culture propagated by our sports nexus is, therefore, the means that propagates masculinity and hyper gender.
Varda further explores how the current sports culture has exacerbated the social conflict of masculinism and hyper gender through the displays of ideal bodies and behaviors of men. Men involved in sports have to work for the ideal bodies and display the ideal behaviors associated with men, which include many muscles healthy body builds and the characteristics of power and dominance. The sport nexus has continued to induce the characters of competition and ranking, which do not seem to be fully achieved unless the male perfection stereotype is achieved. The dominating stereotype has, in turn, resulted in men seeming superior and far more dominant as a gender.
The physicalism of sports and stereotypes of strength, competition, and domination have continued to propagate masculinism. Many of the sportsmen are forced to work out to maintain their image and jobs in the sports world. Others maintain that they do not seem to fit in the sports when they have lesser muscles and cannot display dominant and overpowering characters. Such is what reflects in the social and political system where only the men seem to have the strength to lead.
Sexuality
Burstyn holds that the current sports culture incites and induces homosexuality, especially in the youth and children, through erotic displays of the body during playing. To support the homoeroticism of sports, one has to consider the nature of sex and how it is effected in all humans. Sex can be considered as an intense interaction of both the physical body and the mental (Burstyn, 1999, p32). Varda explains that such intense experiences are usually and only achieved through sports starting when one plays as a child to what is displayed by professional sportsmen in the field. As much as the players do not engage in erotic acts in the field, the effect that they have on the spectator induces sexual desires and given that most of these spectators are men. The result is that homosexuality is promoted in their brains.
One can, however, challenge this argument, which, as it seems, does not induce homoeroticism directly but depends on the assumption of the ubiquitous nature of sexual thoughts in the spectator’s brain. The fact that these players represent the ideal qualities of each gender, especially the males, more men are very attracted to them, ending in homosexual thoughts. Additionally, sports usually induce extreme emotions in the fans, and any spectator may have a hard time differentiating these emotions as sexual or not. Such confusion triggers and promotes homoeroticism. It is also worth noting that some of the sportsmen are homosexuals. Children and youth looking up to them as role models end up having homosexual thoughts and may finally embrace homosexuality.
Drugs
Varda asserts that the current sports culture continues to incite the use of drugs in the form of doping and also substance abuse. In the Olympics, for example, much doping is done by athletes to gain a competitive advantage. Also, many of the sports like rugby and weight lifting impose on the athletes to look very large and dominating, hence triggering steroid use tendencies (Burstyn, 1999 p223). Some of the athletes also use varieties of recreational drugs such as alcohol and marijuana. The use of drugs by athletes who portray a society’s ideal qualities then means that society is comfortable with the use of drugs, which is not correct.
To support this, most athletes abuse drugs as a sign of underlying mental illnesses and to mask emotional deficiencies. Seeking treatment for a mental illness or therapy to cure emotional deficiencies is seen as a sign of weakness. Athletes having the ideal qualities must not show weakness and therefore abuse drugs. As a result, most of the youth are encouraged to use drugs, aggravating social conflict and an economic crisis.
Violence and racism
The sports culture has induced and increased efficiency in the use of violence and aggressive tactics. Sports are generally very competitive, with many rankings involved. Most of these sports, like football, also involve a lot of jealousy, hatred, and greed in the spectators. Some sports like wrestling, ice hockey, and water polo allow for violence, although restrictions do exist. Athletes participating in such games are continually being hospitalized due to injuries that range from concussions, broken limbs, and even dislocations (Burstyn, 1999 p165).
To put this into context, the negative feelings induced in the spectators promote violence at a larger scale. Socially people will tend to display more aggressive behavior to show dominance or even to display patriotism to their team. Bullying is also encouraged, which is a way to mask one’s inner fears. Athletes hurt each other without mercy in order to win a game, which teaches young people unhealthy competition. Such a society is bound to have trouble politically as members cannot accept defeat, always resulting in political unrest and chaos, as is seen today.
The sport nexus, through its support of capitalism and competition, has reintroduced racism into sports. Racism involves discrimination of persons on the bases of color and race. Racism may come about when fans target players, especially in international sports. Also, some athletes may be barred from participating based on their race.
In conclusion, Varda has explained how the existing sports culture has continued to advocate for vices in society negatively affecting the social, political, and economic systems. As a fan of any sport, one should be aware of the vices involved and seek help, especially when it comes to such fundamental issues, such as health, both mental and physical. The sport nexus may not change its approach of competition, domination, and masculinism, and therefore it is the individual role of everyone involved to identify the vices and change them.
The book the rites of men is a splendid book addressing issues that face our current society that arise from sports and the sports nexus. It addresses these issues fearlessly and with much insight.
All stakeholders in sports should, therefore, take the time to read the book, especially the fans who are the ones who experience the adverse effects. Of importance also is that everyone feels the effects of sports through the political and economic systems, and therefore everyone should read the book.
Get professional assignment help cheaply
Are you busy and do not have time to handle your assignment? Are you scared that your paper will not make the grade? Do you have responsibilities that may hinder you from turning in your assignment on time? Are you tired and can barely handle your assignment? Are your grades inconsistent?
Whichever your reason may is, it is valid! You can get professional academic help from our service at affordable rates. We have a team of professional academic writers who can handle all your assignments.
Our essay writers are graduates with diplomas, bachelor, masters, Ph.D., and doctorate degrees in various subjects. The minimum requirement to be an essay writer with our essay writing service is to have a college diploma. When assigning your order, we match the paper subject with the area of specialization of the writer.
Why choose our academic writing service?
- Plagiarism free papers
- Timely delivery
- Any deadline
- Skilled, Experienced Native English Writers
- Subject-relevant academic writer
- Adherence to paper instructions
- Ability to tackle bulk assignments
- Reasonable prices
- 24/7 Customer Support
- Get superb grades consistently
Get Professional Assignment Help Cheaply
Are you busy and do not have time to handle your assignment? Are you scared that your paper will not make the grade? Do you have responsibilities that may hinder you from turning in your assignment on time? Are you tired and can barely handle your assignment? Are your grades inconsistent?
Whichever your reason is, it is valid! You can get professional academic help from our service at affordable rates. We have a team of professional academic writers who can handle all your assignments.
Why Choose Our Academic Writing Service?
- Plagiarism free papers
- Timely delivery
- Any deadline
- Skilled, Experienced Native English Writers
- Subject-relevant academic writer
- Adherence to paper instructions
- Ability to tackle bulk assignments
- Reasonable prices
- 24/7 Customer Support
- Get superb grades consistently
Online Academic Help With Different Subjects
Literature
Students barely have time to read. We got you! Have your literature essay or book review written without having the hassle of reading the book. You can get your literature paper custom-written for you by our literature specialists.
Finance
Do you struggle with finance? No need to torture yourself if finance is not your cup of tea. You can order your finance paper from our academic writing service and get 100% original work from competent finance experts.
Computer science
Computer science is a tough subject. Fortunately, our computer science experts are up to the match. No need to stress and have sleepless nights. Our academic writers will tackle all your computer science assignments and deliver them on time. Let us handle all your python, java, ruby, JavaScript, php , C+ assignments!
Psychology
While psychology may be an interesting subject, you may lack sufficient time to handle your assignments. Don’t despair; by using our academic writing service, you can be assured of perfect grades. Moreover, your grades will be consistent.
Engineering
Engineering is quite a demanding subject. Students face a lot of pressure and barely have enough time to do what they love to do. Our academic writing service got you covered! Our engineering specialists follow the paper instructions and ensure timely delivery of the paper.
Nursing
In the nursing course, you may have difficulties with literature reviews, annotated bibliographies, critical essays, and other assignments. Our nursing assignment writers will offer you professional nursing paper help at low prices.
Sociology
Truth be told, sociology papers can be quite exhausting. Our academic writing service relieves you of fatigue, pressure, and stress. You can relax and have peace of mind as our academic writers handle your sociology assignment.
Business
We take pride in having some of the best business writers in the industry. Our business writers have a lot of experience in the field. They are reliable, and you can be assured of a high-grade paper. They are able to handle business papers of any subject, length, deadline, and difficulty!
Statistics
We boast of having some of the most experienced statistics experts in the industry. Our statistics experts have diverse skills, expertise, and knowledge to handle any kind of assignment. They have access to all kinds of software to get your assignment done.
Law
Writing a law essay may prove to be an insurmountable obstacle, especially when you need to know the peculiarities of the legislative framework. Take advantage of our top-notch law specialists and get superb grades and 100% satisfaction.
What discipline/subjects do you deal in?
We have highlighted some of the most popular subjects we handle above. Those are just a tip of the iceberg. We deal in all academic disciplines since our writers are as diverse. They have been drawn from across all disciplines, and orders are assigned to those writers believed to be the best in the field. In a nutshell, there is no task we cannot handle; all you need to do is place your order with us. As long as your instructions are clear, just trust we shall deliver irrespective of the discipline.
Are your writers competent enough to handle my paper?
Our essay writers are graduates with bachelor's, masters, Ph.D., and doctorate degrees in various subjects. The minimum requirement to be an essay writer with our essay writing service is to have a college degree. All our academic writers have a minimum of two years of academic writing. We have a stringent recruitment process to ensure that we get only the most competent essay writers in the industry. We also ensure that the writers are handsomely compensated for their value. The majority of our writers are native English speakers. As such, the fluency of language and grammar is impeccable.
What if I don’t like the paper?
There is a very low likelihood that you won’t like the paper.
Reasons being:
- When assigning your order, we match the paper’s discipline with the writer’s field/specialization. Since all our writers are graduates, we match the paper’s subject with the field the writer studied. For instance, if it’s a nursing paper, only a nursing graduate and writer will handle it. Furthermore, all our writers have academic writing experience and top-notch research skills.
- We have a quality assurance that reviews the paper before it gets to you. As such, we ensure that you get a paper that meets the required standard and will most definitely make the grade.
In the event that you don’t like your paper:
- The writer will revise the paper up to your pleasing. You have unlimited revisions. You simply need to highlight what specifically you don’t like about the paper, and the writer will make the amendments. The paper will be revised until you are satisfied. Revisions are free of charge
- We will have a different writer write the paper from scratch.
- Last resort, if the above does not work, we will refund your money.
Will the professor find out I didn’t write the paper myself?
Not at all. All papers are written from scratch. There is no way your tutor or instructor will realize that you did not write the paper yourself. In fact, we recommend using our assignment help services for consistent results.
What if the paper is plagiarized?
We check all papers for plagiarism before we submit them. We use powerful plagiarism checking software such as SafeAssign, LopesWrite, and Turnitin. We also upload the plagiarism report so that you can review it. We understand that plagiarism is academic suicide. We would not take the risk of submitting plagiarized work and jeopardize your academic journey. Furthermore, we do not sell or use prewritten papers, and each paper is written from scratch.
When will I get my paper?
You determine when you get the paper by setting the deadline when placing the order. All papers are delivered within the deadline. We are well aware that we operate in a time-sensitive industry. As such, we have laid out strategies to ensure that the client receives the paper on time and they never miss the deadline. We understand that papers that are submitted late have some points deducted. We do not want you to miss any points due to late submission. We work on beating deadlines by huge margins in order to ensure that you have ample time to review the paper before you submit it.
Will anyone find out that I used your services?
We have a privacy and confidentiality policy that guides our work. We NEVER share any customer information with third parties. Noone will ever know that you used our assignment help services. It’s only between you and us. We are bound by our policies to protect the customer’s identity and information. All your information, such as your names, phone number, email, order information, and so on, are protected. We have robust security systems that ensure that your data is protected. Hacking our systems is close to impossible, and it has never happened.
How our Assignment Help Service Works
1. Place an order
You fill all the paper instructions in the order form. Make sure you include all the helpful materials so that our academic writers can deliver the perfect paper. It will also help to eliminate unnecessary revisions.
2. Pay for the order
Proceed to pay for the paper so that it can be assigned to one of our expert academic writers. The paper subject is matched with the writer’s area of specialization.
3. Track the progress
You communicate with the writer and know about the progress of the paper. The client can ask the writer for drafts of the paper. The client can upload extra material and include additional instructions from the lecturer. Receive a paper.
4. Download the paper
The paper is sent to your email and uploaded to your personal account. You also get a plagiarism report attached to your paper.
PLACE THIS ORDER OR A SIMILAR ORDER WITH US TODAY AND GET A PERFECT SCORE!!!
