Cultural Studies - UK and Australia

UK

• Class system based on privilege - determined income lifestyle and sport
• Influence of sport came from Public schools
• Power of British empire had global impact - influenced the development of sport across the world
• Divisions between amateur and professional players (amateur-higher class)

Australia

• New culture
• Privilege was not a feature of society
• Didnt have a class structure (land of the fair go)
• Sports from UK were adopted by Australia
• Part of the empire - UK was the motherland
• Victory against UK is significant (national progress)
• Australian sporting traditions did not tolerate the class divisions

UK

• Small country (helped communication and travel)
• No areas of genuine wilderness- some ares of national parks not many mountains (restricts outdoor adventure)
• One climate type (warm summers, mild winters) which restricts outdoor adventure)
• Large population (62 million) high population density - helped commercialisation of sport
• Distance wasnt a major problem (rail systems)

Australia

• 32 x larger - harder for travel and communication
• Areas of genuine wilderness (outdoor education) comprising coastal, land scrub, desert and mountains
• Climate is diverse (favourable conditions for sport)
• 22 million population (low population density) - urban country
• distance was a problem to sports development - airports for internal travel

UK

• Monarch -head of state, Prime minister - head of government
• Local government
• Decentralisation is less evident in national cirriculum
• Government not directly responsible for sport - however invovled through the DCMS
• Capitalist but inclined to a mixed economy which restricts commercial enterprise
• Professional sports are becoming increasingly commercialised

Australia

• Monarch of England is cheif of state - part of british commonwealth (but was granted independance)
• Decentralisation in each state
• No national cirriculum (taken at a state level)
• Sport is percieved as a government (vote catcher)
• Adopted a capitalist economy

UK

• UK invented many major sports
• Public schools and traditions of Empire
• Large spectator base
• Railway system was efficient promoting spectators
• Sporting venues easily accessible
• Capitalist with elements of mixed economy
• People have disposable income to spend on sport
• can afford media outlets (sky)
• Large amounts to build and maintain staduims

Australia

• Long tradition of sport
• Indicator of progress and national pride
• Urban society
• Densly populated cities - large spectator base
• Transport systems are diverse
• People have disposable income to spend on sport
• same bottem points as UK

• Discrimination against minority is evident in UK and Australia
• However more UK citizens denied access to sport (may be because Aussie population is smaller)
• Both have Oppertunity, Provision, Esteem
• Australia has three initiatives to improve access to sport: Indigenous sport programme (encouraging indigenous people to be more active) Disabiltiy sport prog, Women and Sport unit

UK

• Right to freedom (free speech and expression)
• Teamwork is a traditional british value
• Value of individual is important
• Taking part is still important ethic however winning is increasing in importance
• Fair play - overides win at all costs
• Striving to overcome discrimination on class

Australia

• Everyone deemed as equal - sport never subject to social class divide
• Bush culture reflects individual courage and enterprise and promoted teamwork - all people are equal
• competitivness (currency and sterling)
• Fair play - overrides win at all costs
• Participation - rather then competitiveness
• Social melting pot describes the situation in which people from different cultures have blended together to form an equal status
• Apology has been given to the indigenous people

UK

• government has determined a national cirriculum
• Physical education is compulsory - increase participation - improve a healthy active lifestyle
• Due to obiesty levels rising

Australia

• State government determine physical activity in schools
• Compulsory - increase participation - healthy active lifestyle
• Obiesity levels stable

Government Policy -

• UK (national cirriculum, physical education for young people, physical education and sport
• Aussie (Sport education and Physical education programme)

Professional Development

• UK (teacher training)
• Aussie (Physical and sport education is a teacher training programme for those qualified)

Specialist Provision

• UK (sport colleges increase sporting excellence)
• Aussie (Exemplary schools share good practise with other schools

Primary schools

• UK (National cirriculum, sporting playground initiave, TOPS prog)
• Aussie ( Fundamental Skills programme)

Student leadership

• UK (step into sport, Junior sports leaderships, Community sports leaders)
• Aussie ( Sport leader programme)

Awards for excellence

• UK ( gifted and talented scheme)
• Aussie (State blue award)

Sports Personality

• UK (sports stars visit schools - role models)
• Aussie (Sports person in school project links)

Teacher games

• UK (fixtures between staff)
• Bring teachers together for friendly comp

UK

• Climate less conductive to an outdoor lifestyle
• Backpacking, hiking and walking are popular
• No equivalent of bush culture
• Climate and topography limit areas
• UK lacks hostile wilderness
• provides adventure experiences

Aussie

• Climate is favourable
• Associated with balanced active healthy lifestyle
• Bush, frontier culture can be experienced
• Outstanding natural resources
• Important area of education - examined subject
• Victoria Youth development programme outdoor education programme that incorportates army, ambulance, fire service

• In UK 72% of young people take part in physical activity - trend beginnning to decline
• in Aussie approx 70% boys and girls complete 60 mins activity each day - on average 2-2 1/2 hours. (higher than the UK)
• UK 30% young people in the 5-17 catagory were overweight

Australia Sports Commission -

• promotes excellence and mass participation
• More active Australia
• Active membership of sports clubs

• Primary and High schools - Sport taught to the highest quality in primary and high schools. Co-ordinate national inter-school competition
• School sport network - agency for teachers involved in sports - encouraging and preparing young children for an active lifestyle
• Junior sport programmes - Modify games and provide resources, coaching, and competitions
• Active after school community programmes - Primary school children to free, structured p.e programmes after school, aimed at non active children
• Local sporting champions programme - Fincial support for equipment, uniforms, travel
• Bluearth programme - Specialists in movement and health work alongside teachers to improve fitness and motor skills.
• Aussie Sports - Modify rules, reduce the dimensions of playing environment and introduce child friendly equipment

There are 4 sport institutes

• English institute of sport (EIS)
• Scottish institute of sport (SIS)
• Sports institute of nothern ireland (SINI)
• Welsh institute of sport

Funding from national lottery and government

No hierarchy of importance (like aussie)

UK sport - controls institutes

functions same as Aussie

• Produce elite performers
• World class facilities
• financial aid and sponsership

Atleast one institute in each state (eg......

• Victoria institute of sport (VIS)
• South australia institute of sport (SASI)

Funding from government and business sponsership

No hierachy of importance (like UK)

Monitored by national elite sports council

Functions (like UK)

• Highest quality of coaching and technology support
• Recieve treatment from sport medical services
• Educational and vocational services provided

• Both countries Offer young people with talent altervative routes into elite sport
• Both countries give vocational support to athletes and this reflectes positively on the contempory culture
• (AUSSIE)Draft system of player recruitment in australian rules football is good for teams who finish low in the league tables because they get first selection
• cricket players can bypass sports institutes and progress of professional league cricket

UK

• does not directly use UK sport institutes to develop talent
• Schools and clubs develop talent
• proffesional clubs develop academies
• Player can be fast tracked directly from school or club into pro

AUSSIE

• A promising young rugby player may will be a schlorship holder with the AIS
• A talented performer could be nurtured through the club academy (AIS support is there)
• The kids kangeroo scheme is a new national development plan, it tracks promising junoir players into the pro game
• An under 18 comp has been promoted as a tv spetical and this exposure has fast tracked some players

UK

• Originated here (first recorded game in 1611)
• Thrived in the UK public schools
• Amateurs and pro players changed in different rooms
• Captain of english team was amateur - reflecting class system
• MCC driving force for international cricket
• Defeat against australia significant
• Marks the beginning of ashes - stimulating greater interest
• in 21st centure twenty20 cricket was introduced to boost commercial

USA

• Direct copy of the English game
• 1st games arranged between currency lads and english military
• did not incorporate class privilege
• Captain not required to be an amateur
• Winning against UK is benchmark for progression
• have named it twenty20 bash

UK

• in 1895 clubs broke away from amateur system (classed as rebels)
• This changed the format of game to make it more entertaining
• First match between UK and Aussie took place in UK 
• Game with strong working class origins
• Southern england never really accept it (northern associated) 
• Commercial sport
• Less popular compared to Rugby Union
• Abolished relegation like USA 

Australia

• Australia followed same lead as UK
• Associated with specific areas (Queensland, New south wales)
• Established in the East
• Games between counties are a commercial success
• Rugby league more popular (they don't have class system)
• Australia has expanded rugby league to all states

UK 

• Rooted from public schools and universities (nowadays in grammer schools)
• Middle class game
• Organised on a friendly basis up to 1990's
• Adopted professionalism after success of world cup 
• League structure put into place - European cup to bring commercialization
• Laws been modified to make game more attractive
• Professionalism stopped Rugby union players signing up for Rugby League.

Australia

• Played by private schools
• Middle class amateur etho
• Friendly basis
• withstood commercial pressure in 1990's
• become commercalised after success of world cup
• adopted professionalism  - Super 12 competition  
• Failed to successfully promote it, therefore not as popular

UK

• Football association founded as amateur (origins of public schools)
• FA accepted professionalism in 1888 (football league - dominated by working class)
• Professional Football players earned a good wage
• 1961 abolished maximum wage - now commercial business
• Televised matches
• Division one football clubs broke away from league and made premiership
• Well ahead in popularity and commercial potential in UK 

Australia

• Football was not popular until 20th century
• Organisation identical sport directed from UK 
• Proffesionalism hard to adopt (difficult to survive)
• Game was marginalized
• Soccer resulted in racial violence
•  Was marginalized untill 21st century

• Government initiated an inquiry into management of football 
• Governing body (Football federation of Australia) was established to promote it 
• National league was established
• Defused racial problems by enforcing withdrawal of ethnic team names
• Spectator interest was increased (positive media interests)
• Increased public and media interest (sponsership deals)
• Victory against UK -sign of progression
• National competition for women, supported by the AIS
• 1 million players in Australia (fastest growing sport)
• FFA is bidding to host the 2018 world cup

Origin: 

• Combination of Aboriginal ethic game and football that was played in 19th century (keep cricketers fit in the winter)

Ethnicity

• Accessible to ethnic groups
• Aborigines well represented in the game 
• Ethnic europeans were prominent

Class

• Appeals to all classes
• Working class a chance to be respected
• endorsed land of fair go

Gender

• Victoria's womens football league promote female participation
• Play dominated by men