ABSTRACT
The purpose of this chapter is to examine the intersection of social class, sport, and physical activity. The author first defines key terms related to socioeconomic status and class, and then discusses the manner in which social class influences access to and opportunities in the sport work environment and sport activities. The discussion then moves to multilevel factors that influence the effects of social class in the work environment, including macro-level factors, such as value systems, educational systems, and housing; meso-level factors, such as bias among decision-makers, organizational structure, and the delivery of sport; and micro-level factors, such as intersecting identities, psychological characteristics, and self-limiting behaviors. The argument that sport involvement is strongly related to social mobility is overstated. Rather, social class standing will improve only when sport participation allows a person to obtain education, social contacts, skills, and training unrelated to sport.
