Page 541 - Sociology and You

Chapter 15 Sport
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sometimes subject to ridicule by girls as well as boys, showing the diffi- culty boys faced when try- ing to escape the pressures of being masculine within this school setting (Eder, 1995:72).
Insult exchanges could be won by getting another boy to become angry. By los- ing his cool, the other boy lost his image of toughness. Some boys would insult an- other boy just to look good to others. An example is pro- vided by one of the re- searcher’s notes on Hank, the highest-status boy in the sev- enth grade, who had a repu- tation for verbal assault.
Hank does seem to enjoy conflict or competition on a one-on-one basis. A couple of times today he left the table just to go down and abuse some kid at the end of the table, calling him a pud, a squirt, or a wimp. Then he would come back and tell the group how the guy had done nothing when he had said this. Hank would get a big smile on his face and was really pleased (Eder, 1995:73–74).
Insults and counter-insults delivered several messages. First, boys learned not to care about the feelings of others. Second, insulting, or even humiliating, their peers was a socially approved means of achiev- ing or displaying higher status. Third, boys who humiliated low-status peers were rewarded with social recognition. This was true even if the target of ridicule was handicapped or overweight.
Working with the Research
1. Do you think this study describes sports at your school? Explain.
2. Do female athletes treat each other differently from the way boys treat each other? Explain.
Future sociologists may study the effect that team sports plays on women’s aggression.