The Big Three…..

…..Of Sociology (Classical Sociological Thinkers)

Karl Marx•German political philosopher and economist

•Formulated a theory about history, power and exploitation

1818-1883

Marx on History

• His Theory: Materialism (or Dialectical Materialism)

• Material Goods and economic forces are the driving factor in history, not ideas.

“Men make their own history but not in circumstances of their own choosing.”

What are some of the economic factors that drive sports?

Two Classes• He distinguished two important class groups

– Bourgeois (capitalists): wealthy people who owned the means of production (ex. factories and farmlands)

– Proletariat (workers): people who only own the labor and must work for the bourgeois.

“The oppressed are allowed once every few years to decide which particular representatives of the oppressing class are to represent and repress them.”

What are the important class groups in sports?

Class Conflict

• Mode of production: how a society produces its existence

• Each mode of production creates conflict between classes because there is an imbalance in power.

• Historical change is about class conflict over concrete things

Is there class conflict in sports? Can you think of any examples?

Marx on Capitalism

• Marx was worried about Industrial Capitalism, the mode of production of his time.

• Capitalism: society with privately owned means of production, production for profit, and class divisions.

• Wage Labor: Workers are free because they can work for any employer but to survive they must sell their labor in exchange for wages; they are also exploited

Effects of Capitalism

• Alienation: workers feel distanced and estranged: – From their product, because they do not own them– From labor, because they do not control their own

activities– From human nature, because they lack capacity for

conscious and free activity– From other people, because of the class divisions

• Based on Marx’s ideas, how would alienation affect athletes? Choose one sport that you are familiar with and explain.

Marx on Communism

• Capitalist system would be replaced by communist utopia– Means of production are collectively owned– Goods and services are produced to meet social

needs– Classes do not exist. – Every citizen would contribute according to his/her

abilities and be rewarded according to their needs. “The philosophers have only interpreted the world, in various ways: the point,

however, is to change it.”

Marx and Conflict Theory

• From his ideas, a major sociological theory developed:

conflict theory

READING

• Karl Marx’s Trip to a College Football Game

Are colleges exploiting student-athletes?

NCAA Rules

• The NCAA forbids any college athlete to receive any type of payment for participating in a game.

What do schools give to student-athletes?

• Tuition• Books• Room and Board (meals)• Team apparel• Special scheduling of

classes• Health Insurance• Travel Expenses

Annual Revenue Brought in by Football Team

Some Numbers

• CBS and Turner Broadcasting make more than $1 billion off the games

• $700,000 for a 30-second spot during the Final Four• Athletic Conferences receive millions when they

advance deep into the tournament• The NCAA makes over $800 million dollars annually

• Coaches’ Salaries - http://www.usatoday.com/sports/college/salaries/ncaab/coach/

More Numbers

• College athletes are already being paid with an athletic scholarship that is worth between $20-$50,000 per year.

• Many college athletes are being reimbursed with nearly as much money as the average American makes in a year.

• Students who attain a Bachelor's degree will make $1.1 million more in their lifetimes than non-graduates.

• 96% of NCAA money goes back to the schools.• Last year, only 22 Athletic Departments were profitable

The Ed O’Bannon Case

• Former UCLA basketball player • The lawsuit is seeking a "50-50 split for

telecasts and a one-third split for video games.“

• Will take place in July 2014

Should colleges pay athletes?

They should• College athletics brings

millions in.• Television networks and

sports apparel earn money• The only people not

benefitting are the players

They should not• They are students first, and

that should be their primary goal.

• College has always been amateur. Fans do not want to see it go professional

• It would turn athletics into a job

• Who is going to decide which athletes get paid and which are not?

Day 3 – The End