A Safe Society Going Risky Sociology Essay

A Safe Society Going Risky Sociology hearNothing worth having in life is ever attained with off fetching find (Nansen, 1927 p36). Nansen a great Arctic Explorer and Nobel peace plundering winner said this in his speech virtu each(prenominal)y the homo require for fervidness. Not but this man, but up to 50% of Norwegian the great unwashed ar willing to labor assays in life (Norwegian national survey, cc3). The military issue of lot p impostureicipating in intense diverts awaits to be growing ( merrimentbusiness.com, xtreme delight4u.com), as is the number of championships in these gamblings. It seems on that point is much than advanceds about original bids and in that respect atomic number 18 more advertisements. An example of a recent happen taking item that made the unexampleds in the Netherlands is a long dozen year old girl who wishes to sail around the world on her own. The news of this girl became prime news and galore(postnominal) subscriber l ineive institutions interfered with the girls plan. The Dutch child protection tried to stop her. Eventually they succeeded the girl was non allowed to execute her plan by court order.The example in the hold water paragraph learns a paradox the contrast in guess- quest bearing and the hazard shunning or s sess a chance minimization in national policies. youthful policies be aimed on encounter avoidance, all risks should be minimized (Beck YEAR, Giddens YEAR, Breivik YEAR). new-made societies do this precise obviously. Clear examples bridges, car, airplanes, nuclear reactors, elevators, toys and electrical devices, all should be unspoilt. People all require to behave according to guidelines (i.e. laws) if you do not you will end up in jail. assorted openhearted of examples but good examples neverthe little be an organizer of a raft stillt was sued for universe negligent when in 2007 deuce young women died when their raft slipped of a dam, insurance companies g iving a discount on their insurance if decorous smoke detectors and early(a) rubber equipment is present in a house, or the building of gas stations outside of urban beas and dozen more examples could be given. What these different exemplifies is a seemed tension amongst the deeply root need for upthrow on one hand and the risk avoidance policies by societies nowadays. Where could this seemed tension come from? Elias and dunning (YEAR) write in their book -Quest for upheaval maneuver and Leisure in the Civilizing Process- that ultramodern community constitutes of routines and relative leave out of risk. The comparison is made between Greek wrestlers and Roman boxers to modern ones in order to exemplify the extraordinary violence permissible in antiquity and the soft and rule controlled fellowship of present time. in that location are withal empirical data which cram wantions about the theory that the quest for the fervour of sports is an escape from the routines o f modern life. This data shows a difference between the richer and the poorer side of friendship. Poorer, more oft the most routinized concourse (i.e. factory workers), seem slight prone to demeanor for fervidness in sports than the less routinized richer stack of caller. On the contrary of this empirical data that thrill quest, risk taking, gumption want and all other synonyms of slew feeling for passion has been shew to be a spirit trait and thence has genetic roots. The genes confused in this trait are closely joind to major psycheality dimensions like extraversion and psychoticism (Eysenck Eysenck, 1977). A paper by Fulker, Eysenck, Zuckermann (1980) discards genius adjudicateing almost as a disease. Sensation seeking was found to relate to both extraversion and psychoticism but not to neuroticism. The general pattern of semblanceships to other trait tests suggests that sensation seekers are impulsive extraverts, but not needfully neurotic or anxious (Ful ker et al., 1980 p262).There does not seem to be an at hand answer to the forefront Does a safety- orientated golf club tell on people want to look for excitement in for example fundamental sports? This is the research question for this paper. We hypothesize that a safety orientated society benefits people want to look for excitement in for example thorough sports. This paper is a re construe of articles present about the raised guinea pig and will try to get an insight in if, wherefore and how people are looking for excitement nowadays. In the first-class honours degree chapter we expound what we think by a safety orientated society. In the second a description is given of excitement and in the thirth excitement is colligate to risk. The fourth part chapter explores whether utmost(a) sports are truly sports. In paragraph one this is micturate from the perspective of indecorum, and in paragraph two from institutional embeddedness as proposed bij Tamboer Steenberg en (2007). Chapter tailfin gives an answer to the question wherefore people put down in immanent sport. The last chapter mentions in what way complete sports are influenced bij our safety orientated society. In the conclusion we give answer to our main question.We do this literary works study as an assignment of the Sport and Society course as a part of the Master Human Movement Sciences but the upshot of this paper could be meaningful to others interested in the human need for excitement. 1. A safety-orientated societyAs mentioned in the introduction the safety-orientated society does function a major part this research. Many examples have been given of this alleged(a) risk avoidance society. But what is it and is the society that different than we world we lived in, in the past? Ulrich Beck, a respected sociologist, wrote about the risk society in 1998 (Beck, 1998 Kelman, 2003). Beck describes a risk society as risk avoiding because everything in passing(a) live seem to be pore on risk. Society wants to sock everything about risk and want to avoid every risk. All risks should be controllable, calculable and predictable. In other words each task, each increase or each activity is at least statistical analyze for hazards. Although this description is useful to understand the term risk society Beck and Giddens stubborn in a collaboration paper to extend the term risk society into six parameters of risk society. Every parameter is interconnected. The parameters are the ubiquity of risk, risk is everywhere. At the very core reflexive modernity is characterized by an awareness of living in a society of increasing vulnerability to the unpredictable, unfamiliar and unprecedented risks manufactured by modern lore and technology. Different understandings of risk, the proliferation of the risk definitions, the reflexive orientation to risk and risk and trust. These six parameters yield the definition is more comprehensive, because Besides this coop eration between Giddens and Beck they did not agree completely. Giddens didnt pay with the first short definition. He insisted that risk is not the same as hazard or danger. Risks refer to hazards that are actively assessed in relation to future possibilities (Giddens, 1999). Further contributions of the definition of risk have been made by Wells, Douglas, Luhmann, Joffe and Fox. They represent different disciplinary approaches to risk. To mention all these different approaches would be beyond the purpose of this paper. But the scope of the different authors may be clear. Modern society is a risk society because societies are focused on risk.Although we completely understand the point of view of the different authors we strongly believe that society is, for the same originators as proposed by the authors, focused on creating a safe society. The reason why we chose for this contrast is based on our point of view. We have a propensity to look at this society as a safety-orientated society, because we feel that societies aim on safety. From this save society we look into the risks of utmost(prenominal) sports. This contributes to the contrast between these factors. Hereby we presume that a person who starts doing uttermost(a) sports started his live in this safety-orientated society (i.e. a predictable and therefore maybe boring society). The people who step out of the safety-orientated society to participate in an intense sport what are they looking for?2. earnestnessZuckermann (1983 and 1994) wrote that nigh sports activities cleverness provide a method by which sensation seekers satisfy their appetite for excitement. Potgieter and Bisschof took it a little further and proposed that sensation seekers are not interested in low risk and low excitement activities such(prenominal) as marathon running (Potgieter, Bisschof 1990). But what is this need for excitement? This chapter will provide a definition for the need of excitement and let off the sub facto rs that come forward from this definition.In his paper Sensation seeking Beyond the optimal direct of arousal Zuckerman provides a definition which fits broadloom in this paper. He states the need for excitement as Look for excitement is a trait defined by the need for varied, novel, and complex sensations and sustains and the willingness to domiciliatevass physical and social risks for the sake of such experience(Zuckerman 1979, p.10). Between 1979 and the present there has been do much research on this topic. Other researchers added some dimensions and that is why (Zuckerman 1994, p.26) came with a new definition for looking for excitement sensation seeking is a trait defined by the seeking of varied, novel, complex, and intense sensations and experiences, and the willingness to take physical, social, legal and financial risks for the sake of such experience. Although this better defined definition there was still the need to define it into four sub factors which areThrill a nd Adventure seeking represents the desire to engage in sports or other physically risky activities that provide unusual sensations of festinate or defiance of gravity, such as scuba diving or skiing. buzz off seeking involves seeking of novel sensations and experience through the mind and senses, as arousing music, level off psychedelic drugs, art and travel. Disinhibition describes the seeking sensations through drinking, partying, gambling and versed variety. Items of this scale indicate seeking of stimulation through other persons. boredom susceptibility items indicate intolerance for repetitive experience of any multifariousness including routine work and boring people.3. Excitement related to risk force out we relate look for excitement to risk? Is it a relation? Or can you have excitement without taking risks? If you relate excitement to thoroughgoing sport you can answer this question with yes. Besides this perspective, (Highhouse 1996) showed a view from the perspectiv e of society. He uppers that risk could also be taken by threats and opportunities. Threats are related to injury and opportunities are related to garner. (Highhouse 1996) Present an enkindle empirical study. This study concludes that people want to take risks but there is a clear leverage beneficial to threats. This basically sum that i.e. weapons platform A 400 people will die. Program B 1/3 probability that nobody will die 2/3 probability that 600 people will die. According to Highhouse people will chose for program A. The results typically reveal a framing effect with choices involving gains revealing more risk aversion. The example shows that not always excitement can be related to risk. This test clearly showed that people are risk avoidance. They dont grap the excitement to win 400 lives in fact they chose for not loosing another 200 people.According to (Zuckerman) sensation seeking is always related to risk he wrote biosocial trait of sensation seeking as a predictor o f risk-taking behavior. There are good reasons for this as the sensation-seeking motive can illuminate why some people take risks and others do not, and several studies have shown the hardness of the concept in this field. Zuckerman related to this concept , behavioral expressions of sensation seeking have not only been found in various kinds of risk-taking behaviors such as driving habits, gambling, health, financial activities, alcohol and drug use, sexual behavior and sports but the trait was found to be also involved in vocational preferences and choices, jobs satisfaction, social premarital and marital relationships, eating habits and food preferences, creativity, humor, fantasy, media and art preferences and social attitudes. This list of Zuckerman covers all the four sub factors of the definition look for excitement. 4. total sportsMany philosophers have askes themselves the questions what makes sport sport? and what makes sports populair? Like habitual or mainstream (Rine hart, 2005) sports, alternative or organic sports are described by the use of these words while they are never clearly defined. In literature there has not yet been a comprehensive definition, although some have tried. Tamboer Steenbergen (2004) have proposed that sports can be seen from two different perspectives from its autonomy and from its institutional embeddedness. For the use of this paper the difference between sports and primitive sports is explored by using these perspectives.Extreme sport and its autonomyBernard Suits describes sport as like to game and play, and he came up with the following definition (Meier, 1988) to play a game is to engage in an activity directed towards bringing about a specific state of affairs (1), using only means permitted by rules (2), where the rules prohibit more efficient in favor of less efficient means (3), and where such rules are accepted just because they make possible such activity (4). This somewhat philosophic definition can be clarified by an extreme sport example. In descending(prenominal) mountainbiking a competitor has to follow a specified set out course (1), he is only allowed to use a mountainbike which is approved by the competition organic law (2), the course set out by the organization is more difficult than the easiest way down (3) but all competitors contain to these rules because this is the game/sport they are playingMeier (1988) wanted to distinguish sport from game and added a fifth element to the definitions. This fifth element is the display of physical cleverness. Extreme sports can even better be described by this definition (i.e. think of all the extreme sports with a jury like halfpipe snowboarding, skateboarding, BMX, freestyle windsurfing), but there remain some characteristics which could make extreme sports different from other sports. Most sports that people call extreme are associated with taking (physical) risk. Extreme sports are about the mastering of a skill (Willig, 2008) to overcome the risks mostly caused or provided by the environment. Mastering a skill is highly individual and this makes extreme sports very indivually aimed sports. There is not even a need for an opponent in most cases because it is about the person mastering a skill or overcoming the dangers of the environment, the environment can be seen as the opponent. In extreme sport there are less rules then in some(prenominal) other sport. The natural surroundings make obstacles. This makes the second element in Suits definition of sports less appropriate for extreme sports (i.e. offpiste skiing or snowboarding this is often the most efficient way down). The risk that is associated with extreme sports could be a factor that makes these sports more exciting or more sensational than other sports (or other activities). Also the environment in which these sports take place can account for the feeling of excitement and therefore be a reason to do an extreme sport.Extreme sports and its institutional embeddednessThe national and international championships that are organized for many kinds of extreme sports show that there is an institutional embeddedness. Mountainbiking and windsurfing are even at the Olympic sports and are regularly seen on TV. According to Rinehart (2003) extreme sport is mostly substantial by young people who are looking for excitement. After this first phase entrepreneurs starting to get in the sport by two ways firstly businesses develop gear and products, which reduce the risk of an extreme sport. And secondly the sport becomes popular by magazines and TV programs. The results of entrepreneurs who enter the extreme sport is that it becomes popular in general and possible to do for the safe society. A second distinction between extreme sport and a mainstream sport is that the persons who are doing extreme sports aligning themselves with sport in step-up to a lifestyle. Which again opens a new market for business ventures and entrepreneurs i .e. clothing and drinks such as Red bull. These institutions want something to say about the sport. They all profit when extreme sports becomes macroscopicger. There will be more media attention, more sponsors, and more people to buy their products. Extreme sport is highly bloodsucking on high-priced material, so as for model in make pass good material is a never ending business. Could this be the reason for the problem Elias and Dunning proposed? As mentioned in the introduction extreme sports are often done by the richer members of society. This is easily explained by the highly dependence of expensive materials. The members that can afford to escape the routinized boring society. Extreme sport is ring by the concept of lifestyle. Extreme sport is not just fighting(a) in the sport activity but also in de kind of life that is a part of this sport. In many of these sports, but for instance bicycle motorcross (BMX) and surfing, chilling is a part of the lifestyle. This lifest yle can be seen in de clothes that people wear, the drinks, the shoes, sunglasses and caps or scarfs.5. Participation in extreme sportsBecause it seems extreme sport has become very populair but is also associated with risk (for physical harm or even death) there is the question Why do people want to participate in extreme sport?Extreme sport seems to distinquish themselves from other sport because of the risk involved. Could it be possible that participators do so because of the risk? And do they need this in order to escape our (boring) safety-orientated society?Taking risk is associated with thrill- and sensation-seeking behavior. This would mean that people are taking risk because of the excitement that comes with it. As mentioned before, in Zuckermans definition of sensation risk-taking behavior is not an essential part, people are only willing to take the risk to experience the sensation. It is possible to experience excitement without risk. Whether people want to experience e xcitement with or without risk is hooked from the situation. Highhouse (1996) showed risk is perceived as an opportunity when in a loss position, but as a threat when in a gain position. Perceptions of threat or opportunity could have effects on risk taking (Highhouse, 1996). Catar (2006) proposes there is a difference between real risk and perceived risk. Real risk a numerical estimation of the likelihood of an event and perceived risk is influenced by cultural factors. In seek tourism (activities like bungeejumping, raften, paragliding, etc.) 94% of the participants found there was a very low or non-existent opening for los, which ment that almost everybody thought the activity was without risk (Catar, 2006). Besides this, the participants evaluate the activities in relation tot the risk of everyday experiences, like driving a car at high speed (Catar, 2006). There can be concluded that de perceivement of risk is dependent on situational factors, and that people do not seek ris k but the experience of sensation. Catar (2006) states Although participants are safe in this knowledge of an outcome, there is no knowlegde as to what the experience might feel like, which is where the attraction really lies. This experience might be so different from everyday experiences, and in combination with an owing(p) environmental view the reason for people to participate in extreme sport.At this point rises the question wheter extreme sport is still extreme without the risks involved. And do the experience and environment make extreme sport different from other sports?There are also empirical data which raise questions about the theory that the quest for the excitement of sports is an escape from the routines of modern life. If this is the case, and it surely seems plausible, how can we explain the well-attested fact that the advantaged rather than the disadvantaged members of society are more likely to do and to watch sports? In other words, those whose lives are least routinized, e.g., professionals, are more likely to seek excitement in sports than those whose lives are most routinized, e.g., factory workers. Perhaps the answer lies in the kinds of sports that are popular with different groups of people.Before people participate in new activities there are two very important elements that must be met. First, people have to be aware of the existence of the activity and the possibility to participate. And, secondly, people have to be in the component part that it is possible for them to participate in terms of time, skill, and money. Most extreme sports are quite new and many people are believably unaware of the existence of these activities. By television, advertisments, and stories from friends they become acquinted with the new sports. But before people decide to take part in these sports they have to be in de right circumstances to do so. Most material is very expensive, and there are many sports that cannot be done anywhere. For mountainbik ing their have to be tracks or a natural environment, for skiing snowy mountains are needed, for surfing their have to be big waves etc. People who are looking for these circumstances can probably be called sensation-seekers. Donnelly (2006) point out that the way in which research has been done on extreme sports often only includes the core participants. Their mode of conflict has come to be called authentic in contrast to the participation of questionable wannabes, posers and nonparticipants. Their relationship with extreme sport is a commercial one. The identification with extreme sport relies for a big part on the adoption of the related lifestyle (Donnelly, 2006). This points out what big influence media, advertisements and groups have on people. And it shows that there are very different kinds of people who participate in extreme sport. Of course this is also the reason why there isnt a transparent answer to the question why people do extreme sport. Extreme sport may be so p opular in contrast to other sport because most participants are attracted to the lifestyle, the products and may not even be practising the sport itself.6. Are extreme sports under influence of the safety-orientated society?It could be concluded from chapter 5 that there is a safety-orientated society because people are looking for safety. It is not only our society, but people arent looking for the risk of death of great physical harm. When there are many people who want to take part in extreme sports, safety has to be guaranteed. But when extreme sport becomes safer, there will be more people who want to take part. It seems extreme sport has a very succesfull image which has been made by media and companies. Advertisements and the way the media shows extreme sport make it sound very exciting. But these sports also have a lifestyle that is known as chilling and relaxing. Not only the sport itself but also the special places to go for participating in that sport make it also special and exciting. In this way extreme sport mirrors our safety orientated society. Because the risks have decreased, and physical safety is assured, people can seek their needed thrills and sensation in extreme sport.ConclusionDoes a safety-orientated society make people want to look for excitement in for example extreme sports? Our safety-orientated society makes it possible for all kinds of people to seek excitement in extreme sports. ImplicationsGovernment If you want excitement then please do an extreme sport instead of experimenting drugs and alcohol because being physically active keeps you healthy and thats safeReferencesDonnelly, M. (2006). Studying extreme sports beyond the core participants. diary of sport and social issues, 30, 219Elias, N. Dunning, E. (1986). Quest for Excitement Sport and Leisure in the Civilizing Process. Oxford, Basil BlackwellFulker, Eysenck Zuckerman, M. (1980). A Genetic and Environmental synopsis JOURNAL OF RESEARCH IN PERSONALITY 14, 261-281 H ighhouse, S. Yuce, P. (1996). Perspectives, perceptions, and risk-taking behavior. Organizational behavior and human decision processes, 65, 159-167 http//www.xtremesport4u.com/extreme-sport/extreme-sport-growing-in-popularity/http//www.sportbusiness.com/news/143916/surge-in-popularity-of-extreme-sportsMeier, K.V. (1988). 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Hillsdale, NJ Erlbaum.Ruch, W. Zuckerman M. ( ). Sensation seeking in adolescence. Hoofdstuk 1