PDHPE Assessment Task – HSC

Outline how Australia has used sport for political purpose.

Sport and politics have a close interrelationship, with international sport often acting as a diplomatic tool. Governments have the ability to provide and withdraw funding, and individual politicians have often aligned themselves with a state or nation’s sporting successes. An example of this would be Former Prime Minister John Howard wore a Wallabies or Australian cricket team tracksuit on his morning walks and provided a strong presence and passion at sporting fixtures of those teams. There are also negative implications towards this matter. While the Olympics is often the biggest political example of using sports for diplomatic means, cricket and association football as well as other sports in the global arena have also been used in this regard. While the Olympics is often the biggest political example of using sports for diplomatic means, cricket and association football, as well as other sports in the global arena, have also been used in this regard. Another example is when South Africa emerged from a sporting boycott in 1992. It was excluded from international sporting competitions by other countries such as Australia, who were protesting at its apartheid (racial segregation) policy. Cricket and rugby were the two main sports affected. Government funding is another source that politics play a major role within sporting applications in Australia for example Government provided funding to sport through the Australian sports commission. In 1998-99 approximately $90 million was provided by the government for programs run by the Australian Sports Commission (ASC). The ASC will distribute funds based on criteria set by the govt. the ASC provides funds to the AIS, which in turn uses funds to develop elite sport at a national level. The AIS administers the Olympic athlete program and the sports assistance scheme. This is where nationalism and politics come into play such as Cathy Freeman carrying the Aboriginal Flag or politicians use sport to enhance their image for example presenting trophies.

Critically analyse how the mass media contribute to people’s understanding values, and beliefs about sport.

Sport information is provided via mass media. How mass media portrays sport can influence our understanding, values and beliefs. The events chosen and how these sporting events may influence the public society. The mass media can focus on particular events or athletes, giving society the impression that may in fact not be a true representation of what actually occurred or what the athlete did at other times. Mass media can also determine our thinking about specific sporting events. Many various AFL and NRL scandals have been played out in the mass media, giving it various perspectives allowing public society to have their own thoughts on these sporting related issues.

Mass media can reach millions of people around the world almost instant and as a result has great influence in today’s society’s understandings of whether recent or past sporting issues. Mass media can focus on positive or negative behaviour from an athlete or group of athletes together. Many examples are Shane Warne, Andrew Johns, Ben Cousins and Tiger Woods have all been a major role in both negative and positive outcomes from within the mass media. This impacts on the public society on having different perspectives on own personal thoughts towards sports and athletes. Mass media can also create great moments available to the public society. Usain Bolt breaking the 100m World Record was able to be viewed by millions of people as well as iconic memories from major sporting events such as “Black Pride” from the Olympics. As a result of mass media’s appeal to the masses and the fact it can mean economic downfalls for sporting teams as well as athletes. Various rule changes have come about as a result of mass media and the need to maintain an audience from the