Self Image Responsibility and Identity Outcomes through Sports

Brainstorming Sports and Identity

The purpose of this paper is to brainstorm three branches of thoughts related to the topic of sports, positive identity, and black socialization. The first section describes the umbrella thoughts, i.e., the thoughts that contain the overall subject, including the quasi-independent variable. The second section describes the big thoughts and logically explains the relationship between the quasi-independent variable and the research question. The third section describes the little thoughts by defining the quasi-dependent variable from the research question. The fourth section identifies interest thoughts by describing the possible connection between the quasi-independent variable and the quasi-dependent variable. The research question for this paper is: Do children who participate in Black sports teams throughout childhood develop positive identity?

Umbrella Thoughts

The quasi-independent variable is the Black cultural experience of participating on a Black sports team. The dimension from Boykin and Toms (1985) to which this variable is related is the ideals of socialization. Boykin and Toms (1985) define socialization as a process by which children are prepared to assume adult roles and duties. It is a process by which children learn accountability and acceptance of the responsibilities expected of them as they mature. It deals with the dimension of appropriate child rearing. In the Black community, there are various challenges to socialization, including economic conditions, poor schooling and father absence—all of which make it difficult for Black children to receive proper training in terms of what it takes to be a mature, responsible adult in the real world (Alston & Williams, 1982; Slaughter?Defoe, Nakagawa, Takanishi & Johnson, 1990; Steinberg, 2010).

Big Thoughts

The dimension of the ideals of socialization is related to Black cultural experience by way of a framework, proposed by Boykin and Toms (1985), which focuses on coping strategies and Black family processes. Boykin and Toms (1985) acknowledge that Black family experiences are diverse and that cultural heterogeneity exists. However, there are homogenous elements in those experiences and cultures, so that similarities and differences can be found from one Black experience of socialization to the next. A comprehensive framework should encompass and explain those similarities and differences, which is where the ideals of socialization come into play. What are the ideals that the Black cultural experience should strive to reach? For instance, how high in terms of responsibility and accountability should a Black family set the bar? Should that bar be different from a single mother raising a family vs. a two-parent household? Experiences that might fall out of this dimension may be those which cannot be controlled, such as economic factors.

Little Thoughts

The quasi-independent variable is the outcome important in adolescence—i.e., the learning of what it means to be a responsible adult by developing a positive identity (Alston & Williams, 1982; Slaughter?Defoe, Nakagawa, Takanishi & Johnson, 1990; Steinberg, 2010). This means that it is important to understand what the outcome of the socialization process is and what it is expected to be. Is there much distance between the ideal or the expectation and the actual outcome? If so, why? How do sports moderate this difference? The outcome that will be explored is the experience of the adolescent teenager who participates in sports to develop a positive identity. From a Black cultural experience perspective, it is important to understand how different teenagers respond to the socialization process that is offered through participation in sports and, specifically, through participation in a Black sports team. What positive images or ideas are conveyed? What is the background of the participant? What are the expectations for the participant? What are the expectations of the participant? Do they align? What are outcomes? How do they compare among participants? These are some of the questions to explore in relation to this research. The idea is to understand what this experience is like from the perspective of a Black teenager.

Interest Thoughts

Regular exposure to the Black cultural experience of sports participation on a Black sports team can lead to the outcome of a positive identity by giving the participant an ideal or vision to work towards and the tools or technique required to help the participant achieve that vision. For instance, sports are about developing the individual self in a positive way so as to perform as a role player on a team. Sometimes the person may be a leader on the team and sometimes the person may have a more facilitative role. The point is that everyone learns discipline and commitment to the team; everyone learns what it means to sacrifice for the greater good, to work hard, and to improve through practice and diligence. It is a character formation exercise that can be conducted throughout one’s adolescence. Theoretically, by committing oneself to a regimen of practice, one shows that one is willing to accept responsibility and to face the challenges that come through competition. Does it work? That is the question. Therefore this research will explore the research question of whether children who participate in Black sports teams throughout childhood will develop positive identity.