Terms and Questions

As you read and participate in the online activities and case study on cheerleading, do so with the following goals in mind:

Key Terms to Define

• Sport
• Institutionalization
• Functionalism

Key Questions to Consider

• What goes into our traditional understandings of “sport”?
• What factors—outside those used in a traditional definition—impact our understanding of what activities are deemed a sport?
• Why does it matter? In other words, what are the rewards and benefits for those who participate in activities we recognize as sports? What is the cost for those activities that are not recognized as such?
• How might our choices about what to label a sport reflect our cultural values?