Eitzen, S. (1975, Summer). Athletics in the status system of male adolescents. Adolescence, X.

OVERVIEW

This study was the first in a series that followed the landmark research of James Coleman in the area of athletics and male social system. This study sought to determine time and society created significant changes.

DESIGN

As was the case in Coleman’s study, schools were selected for inclusion in the sample not because they were representative, but because they differed on certain dimensions. Community characteristics considered important because of their potential for affecting the role of athletics in the adolescent social status system included community size, degree of success in major sports, authority structure, occupational structure, and rural or urban setting. Relevant school characteristics included: size, public or private, and proportion of graduates entering college. Questionnaires were distributed randomly and completed by a sample of students in each of nine schools.

FINDINGS

Comparisons with Coleman’s study reveal that adolescent boys are still as enthusiastic about sports as they were in the late 1950s. This study shows that teenage boys are willing to do whatever is seen as positive by their peers. The criterion of what ranks a boy as popular has remained stable over time. Most important is athletics, second is peer group, third is leadership in activities, and last is high grades. This study shows an increased emphasis on sports participation since Coleman’s study.

CONCLUSION

Two questions guided the study. First, is sports participation as dominant a criterion for status among adolescent males now as it was in the 1950s? The data from this study suggest that it is. Second, are certain sectors of support crumbling? The data reveal that certain variables appear to affect one’s perception of the importance of sport. If these criteria begin to dominate in the future, i.e., attendance at larger schools and higher degree of education, enthusiasm for sports may diminish in the future.

IMPLICATIONS

1. More recent studies indicate that boys desperately want to be involved in sports and still consider it a prime source of peer acceptance.
2. Sports, now more than ever, need to be a part of relational youth work. Presence and attendance around practices and the games are vital for acceptance of adults by youth.
3. Relationships are the stronghold for a youth worker becoming a ‘significant’ other and therefore, earning respect and having positive influence on kids today. Sports events are key to earning the trust of kids and being invited into their world.