The relatiobship of sport deviance and drug use in sport - Research Paper Example

? The Relationship of Sport Deviance and Drug Use in Sport First M. al Affiliation The Relationship of Sport Deviance and Drug Use in Sport Introduction The media had reported several international sport deviances, and one of this is the usage of drugs by athletes in order to enhance their performances. One of these performance-enhancing drugs that had been in the headlines was steroids in the act of doping. According to a U.S. poll, 43 percent believed that almost 50% of the professional athletes in the U.S. were on steroids. Furthermore, the poll result also added that 18 percent of the population that was surveyed believed that almost half of the American athletes sent to the Olympics were using performance-enhancement drugs. Aside from this, the Major League Baseball had also suffered from the revelations that some of the players used steroids. Also, it is inevitable to cite the most recent case of doping done by the world-renowned cyclist, Lance Armstrong, in the field of cycling (Longman, 2003; Klosterman, 2012). Moreover, Coakley (2009) cited that drug use in sport can be understood through the use of the constructionist approach. In this manner, drug use is considered as a deviant overconformity, such that the athletes and other people involved overconform with the norms stipulated by the sports ethics. In this case, deviant overconformity becomes detrimental when the manner of conforming to the norms is limitless. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship of sport deviance and drug use in sport. Review of Research: Sport Deviance & Drug Use Relationship Prior to citing the relationship of sport deviance and drug use in sport, it is vital to recognize that sports, since time immemorial, have been considered as an outlet for people to do away from deviant acts. It is believed that through sports a person will be able to build his or her character and values that are acceptable in the norms of society. It is also considered as the most common extracurricular activity of students in any level. For this reason, the American society considered sport as a medium for students, particularly adolescents to become preoccupied and do away from any deviant act (Vermillion, 2007). However, this statement has not been proven by a substantial number of researches. Nonetheless, Schafer (as cited in Snyder, 1994, p. 232) acknowledged few reasons why sports were considered as a medium in lessening deviant behaviors. For instance, as athlete interacts with his co-athletes and coaches with similar views and perception, he or she will most likely do away from thinking and doing the opposite. However, this interaction within the group, which causes teamwork and loyalty, can also allow athletes to create an in-group that will eventually do deviant acts (Snyder, 1994). In the light of drug use, in a universal perspective, people are drug-dependent. There is a frequent act of drug use, not only to the people involved in sports, but also to the public at large (Dunning & Waddington, 2003). However, when athletes use performance-enhancement drugs (PEDs), it can be considered as an act of cheating. This act is called doping, where PEDs are intentionally used by athletes in order to boost their performance during the game (Dilger, Frick, & Tolsdorf, 2007). In another light, according to Coakley (2009), norms exist in every social world, and they are considered as the benchmark for morality. Therefore, if a person defies these morals or codes, stipulated in the society where he or she belongs, it is considered as deviance. Furthermore, he cited that sport deviance can be classified into two: formal deviance and informal deviance. Formal deviance is the “violations of official rules and laws that are punished by official sanctions administered by people in positions of authority” (Coakley, 2009, p. 157). On the other hand, informal deviance is the “violations of unwritten customs and shared understandings that are punished by unofficial sanctions administered by observers or peers” (p. 157). He added that in order to understand sport deviance, especially in the light of drug use in sport, the constructionist approach will be useful. In this approach, a deviant act has two categories: deviant underconformity and deviant overconformity. Deviant underconformity is the act of rejecting the norms of the, and in this category, the social condition is anarchy. On the other hand, deviant overconformity is the act of following and accepting the norms in a limitless manner. The social condition in this category is fascism. Both of the categories are deviant; however, in the sport, most of the athletes follow deviant overconformity. In this case, most of them limitlessly and unquestionably go beyond sport ethics in order to excel in their field. Most of the athletes jeopardize their health and personal life relationships to be able to play the game. One of the deviant overconformity that these athletes follow is drug use in sport or the intake of performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs). According to U.S. Senator George J. Mitchell that (2008, as cited in Hua & Braddock, 2008, p. 29), “the illegal use of steroids, human growth hormone, and other performance enhancing substances by well-known athletes may cause serious harm to the user.” He also added that the behavior would influence the youth in which “Every American, not just baseball fans, ought to be shocked by that disturbing truth” (p. 29). This statement goes to show that the use of PED in sport has been rapidly increasing not only in elite sports, but also in the collegiate level. Nonetheless, it had been a fact, since time immemorial that athletes in the 480 B.C. to 776 B.C. had found ways to increase their testosterone. Furthermore, in the U.S. alone, it is known that almost 12 percent of male athletes and almost 2.9 percent of female athletes have been using anabolic steroid, one of the PEDs. In relation to this, a study was conducted by Hua and Braddock (2008) that employed male athletes in the middle school and high school with steroid used in three manners: “lifetime steroid use, steroid used during past 12 months, and steroid use during past 30 days” (p. 35-36). The result showed that in the three manners of determining steroid usage, there was a high tendency that the male athletes in major league baseball were involved in the use of steroids. Along with this, the study also showed that during the steroid era in 1991 to 1993, most of the male Black and White athletes in the major league baseball had increased their usage of steroids. However, adolescent White males who were involved in baseball were more inclined in using steroids because their population in the sport is higher. In the light of elite and international sports, it is important to note that prior to the establishment of the World Anti-Doping Agency, PED was rampantly used in almost every sport. During the 1950s, PEDs in the like of anabolic steroids have been used to increase testosterone in the body. During this time, most of the athletes who used this type of PED are bodybuilders and weightlifters (Hua & Braddock, 2008). In addition, in the field of bodybuilders and weightlifters, the study of Monaghan (2000, as cited in Dunning & Waddington, 2003) cited that the society considered bodybuilders were using steroids, which are deemed as unnatural and threatening by the group at large. Moreover, during the early years of cycling, it has been considered as the sport that pushed the body of the athlete to its limits. Therefore, in order to finish the league, most of the athletes used PEDs or stimulants. Also, during that time, the usage of PEDs in this sport was considered as a rite of passage for new athletes in the professional cycling. However, during the Tour de France in 1998, an assistant of the Festina team was caught with hand of growth hormone products. The incident, known as The Festina Affair, paved the way to the creation of the World Anti-Doping Agency. The incident also brought a change in the attitude of most of the athletes in perceiving doping. According to a study conducted by Brissonneau (2010, as cited in Sefiha, 2012, p. 216), after the Festina Affair, PED usage had been practiced in a personal level, or in accordance to the personal decision of the athlete and his or her team (Sefiha, 2012). In addition to anabolic steroids, the growth hormone (GH) and insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) are also among the most abused and used substances in sport. GH has been a common drug used by athletes in the field of strength athletics. Aside from the Festina Affair in 1998, there have already been instances that athletes were caught using GH. In 1988, Ben Johnson, the winner of the 100 meter gold in the Seoul Olympic Games, has been disqualified due to the detection of stanozolol in his urine. In the hearing, he and his coach admitted that Johnson had used GH and anabolic steroids. Aside from this, the American football player, Lyle Alzado, had also admitted to using GH during his career. In addition, he also stated that almost 80 percent of the members of the American football had taken GH (Holt & Sonksen, 2008). Most of the GH that athletes uses are anabolic and lipolytic which reduce body fat that lead to an increase in lean body mass. The use of this type of GHs is mediated by IGF-I, which can also be used alone or with the GH. Nonetheless, the sole use of IGF-I by athletes is lower compared to the usage of GH due to its availability. On the other hand, insulin is also abused in sport by most of the professional athletes in order to increase muscle mass in powerlifters and bodybuilders. One of the most sought after effects of these PEDs by athletes is the addition of almost six kilograms in lean body mass. This is due to the increase of the skeletal muscle along with fat loss (Holt & Sonksen, 2008). As drug use is considered as a sport deviant, Hughes and Coakley (1991) provides a positive light on this moral issue. The positive deviance model exhibits that athletes using PEDs are the people who are dedicated to the sport. They do not lack moral judgment or having deficit socialization. These athletes are considered as overcommitted to their sport that they surpassed the sport ethics. This overconformity of the athletes allowed them to continue even if their health is at risk. Overconformity is hard to break, even with a strong compliance control because the athletes themselves are considered as culprit to the act. In the minds of the athletes, they will do anything on their hands that will allow them to stay in the sport. Being a part and continuously taking part in the chosen sport is not only due to winning, but athletes do this deviant act in order “to live up to the ideal of being an athlete” (Hughes & Coakley, 1991, p. 322). Nonetheless, overconformity can be effectively controlled or be abolished by the athletes and the other people involved if a limit to commitment on sport will be established. This must be stated explicitly in order for athletes who overconform will be considered as deviant by the sport enthusiasts and the media. In the case of Arnold Schwarzenegger, he had used steroids for 14 years; however, the Council for Physical Fitness did not seem to exert efforts in discouraging bodybuilders or any other athletes in using such PED. It is then necessary to consider that athletes and coaches must be the people who will create improvement on the current guidelines in order to abolish overconformity in any sport. The guidelines must give importance to the education of athletes and coaches in the manner of using PEDs. In relation to this, Murray (2010) cited that there have been many anti-doping sceptics that thought PEDs are not the problem, but it was the act of banning. These sceptics cited that if only all athletes were allowed to use PEDs and supplies were sufficient, unfairness in the game would be eliminated. However, Murray (2010) similarly assumed the point of Hughes and Coakley (1991) that doping must not be considered as a part of the normalcy in sport. However, he cited that banning some drugs in sport will eventually bring more harm to the athletes because they will be pushed to take different drugs, which are untested in even more higher dosage. Therefore, the relationship of drugs use and sports can be considered as a manipulative and dangerous act for the athletes involved. The data and studies cited allowed an in-depth understanding on the relationship of sport deviance with drugs use in sport. As cited, sport is believed to be an outlet for people to refrain from doing deviant behaviors. However, it has been proven that the presence of sport deviance, especially drug use, was still persistent. Drug use in sport is considered as doping, or the act of using performance-enhancement drugs by the athletes in order to boost their ability in sport. This had been considered as a deviant act because athletes overconform to the sport ethics. In this case, they do not create a limitation unto how far they can go being an athlete. Also, most of the time they put their health and personal relationships at risk in proving their commitment and integrity as athletes. Hughes and Coakley (1991) had referred this act as positive deviance; nonetheless, in any angle, it is still considered as a deviant act. For this reason, the use of PED has been strictly prohibited in any sport because it has been considered as a form of cheating. However, historically speaking, athletes in the past had been using PEDs in order to continue and finish the game. Nonetheless, after The Festina Affair, everything turned into the opposite direction for the athletes. Many had condemned the use of PED, and for this reason, many athletes were banned and stripped off of their titles because they were proven to use PED during the game. Even with the adverse health effects and the condemnation of the usage of PED in sports, many still believe that legalizing the act will allow athletes to play a fair game. However, it is inevitable to consider that drug use in sport, in any angle seen, is detrimental for both the athlete and the sport peers. Conclusion It can be inferred from the discussion and data presented that drug use in sport is rampant and considered as a sport deviant. Athletes are educated and are fully aware of the adverse effects of the usage of PEDs; however, they believed that it is the only way that they can sustain their presence in the sport. Their overconformity to the ethics of their sports deters their moral judgment to what extent should they be sacrificing for love and in the name of the game. They have thought of drug use in sport as positive deviance, which allowed them to conclude that it is the right decision for their careers. The thin line between sport deviance and drug use in sport is the manner of how an athlete conforms to the ethics and the norms of the game. Currently, the relationship of drug use and sport deviance can be seen in two lenses, which allowed athletes, coaches, and fans to conclude for themselves. References Coakley, J. (2009). Sports in society: Issues and controversies (10th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill. Dilger, A., Frick, B., & Tolsdorf, F. (2007). Are athletes doped? Some theoretical arguments and empirical evidence. Contemporary Economic Policy, 24(4), 604-615. Dunning, E., & Waddington, I. (2003). Sport as a drug and drug in sport. International Review for the Sociology of Sport, 38(3), 351-368. Holt, R., & Sonksen, P. (2008). Growth Hormone, IGF-I and insulin and their abuse in sport. British Journal of Pharmacology, 154, 542-556. 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