ABSTRACT
It might be useful in the first instance to distinguish between several terms that are commonly used in discussions relating to social divisions in sport. Social inequalities may refer to the differences in people’s share of and access to resources and opportunities. The term ‘social inequality’ in relation to sport and other areas can be thought of in at least two senses (i) inequality of condition which may refer to variations in factors such as income, education, occupation or the amount of time to spend on sport, exercise and recreation and (ii) inequality of opportunity which focuses more on the individual and is concerned with the degree of freedoms that people have in moving within and between the restrictions set by a reward structure. People are free to participate in sport at different levels but only within certain limits that are in many ways relatively set by social divisions and conditions. Social inequalities in and through sport are often related to social stratification which is a term used specifically in relation to discussions of class, status and power in sport. Social division however is a much wider term than just social class since it has the potential to place an emphasis on many forms of social division. On the other hand social division is a more restricted and focused idea than social differentiation, a general term used to describe the increasing complexity of specialised roles and relationships that are evident as societies grow in size, develop more elaborate social institutions, and utilise new technologies in production. In the past non-sports researchers tended to be interested in social class aspects of sport at the expense of other social divisions or even the complexity of social class itself.
