Myth of the Sexual Athlete

Sociology

"the Myth of the Sexual Athlete"

What does this article have to do with socialization?

Socialization is one of the primary elements of the article. The author writes of the various settings and describes the methods by which males are likely to be socialized about sexuality before adulthood. The article describes the socialization of western, male sexuality within the context of sports. Later, the article explains the tension between how males feel, what they want, and how they have been socialized as sexual beings. The article may not directly state that a certain paragraph or point is about socialization; nonetheless, socialization is a pervasive theme in this article.

What agents of socialization do we see at work in this article?

The author mentions several agents of socialization at work in this article. Sports locker rooms are one such agent. The gymnasium, weight room, and/or playing field additionally are agents of socialization. Later in the article, the author mentions the massive media influence of socialization with specific regard to love, intimacy, eroticism, and sexuality. There are agents of socialization coming from the individuals with whom we surround ourselves as well as from numerous angles (media) from our culture overall.

3) Does the article suggest anything about biology and behavior?

There is some mention of how there is a link between sexuality and what is primal in men. The author makes an interesting and apt metaphoric statement about how western men suffer from sexual schizophrenia. Schizophrenia is a neurological and psychological disorder. It manifests biologically and is a disorder that directly affects a person's behavior.

4) Would you say that individuals are "prisoners" of socialization? Why or why not?

People who lack critical thinking skills suffer from socialization in that they participate in systems and processes without awareness and activity. These people will be passive in the socialization and acculturation processes. They will always go with the crowd, and have significantly less independent thoughts and actions relative to the crowd. People who have critical thinking skills and use them will probably be prisoners of socialization as well in that they will be different. Their relative lack of conformity will marginalize them from the majority of their peers. Though this experience may cause some alienation, these people, just as the author implies for himself, have greater piece of mind and clearer sense of self.