Sociological Imagination and Decision of Athletes to “Juice” Up
It is prudent to consider that the structure of a society components might be more to blame than that of an individual. Using sociological imagination as proposed by C. Wright Mills, both an individual and the society’s structure work to influence the overall behavior of that individual. The other consideration is what type of men and women standout in a certain society and the periods in which they do this. According to mills, the standout individual is enabled a feeling “that they can now provide themselves with adequate summations, cohesive assessments and comprehensive orientations” (Mills, 1959). In understanding why individuals in a sport-oriented society “juice” up, one must draw on the structure, standing and standouts of that society.
Trevino and Nelson input that there must be a confluence of multiple parties for a scandal or catastrophe to occur (2010). Most of the practices that lead to such a scandal as that of athletes “juicing” up may necessarily not be unethical and may be as a result of common practice. In January 2010, Mark McGwire, a renowned baseball player said that: “I wish I had never touched steroids. It was foolish, and it was a mistake. I truly apologize. Looking back, I wish I had never played during the steroid era” (Hargreaves, 2010). This was in relation to the trend in baseball in the 2000s when nearly everyone was on steroids in order to perform at the highest level. From the tone of his voice, one can deduce that he was sorry but, he tries to excuse himself on the grounds that everyone (the society) was doing it at the time. He has failed consistently to be inducted to the Hall of Fame meaning that his apology had no effect. This points towards fans cynicism, as nearly everyone nominated belonged to the steroid era meaning that he statistically had a chance just like the next nominee to be inducted. The concept of sociological imagination comes into play here for sports journalists and analysts.
Mills asserts that: “neither the life of an individual nor the history of a society can be understood without understanding both” (Mills, 1959). There was an ethical issue involved in the steroid era that led to players “juicing” up. The bottomline is that players want to increase their performance and in turn their future salaries. Therefore, one cannot entirely lay blame on the players since the pressure that the society puts on them is immense. In the steroid era, for example, the league structure concerning testing and penalizing those caught “juicing” was not properly configured. The regulations were laid bare in clubhouses but players turned a blind eye. In terms of fans, attendance could not have been higher. More homeruns were being hit which translated to more TV contracts and the baseball game could not have been in a better place. The prevalent players in that era were those that “juiced” up. The irony is that instead of players being punished for cheating, oftentimes, they were rewarded.
In conclusion, sport journalists and analysts should develop a sociological imagination when scrutinizing players in order to gauge performance without the use of unnatural means. It is not entirely the fault of the players or the society. The latter’s standing and structure and the former’s desire to standout in a competitive environment form the basis for the decision of athletes to “juice” up.
References
Hargreaves, J., (2010). Mark McGwire doping admission may not help Hall of Fame shot. Reuters. Retrieved Nov 9 from http://www.reuters.com/article/2010/01/13/us-baseball-mcgwire-hall-idUSTRE60C07N20100113
Mills, C. W., (1959). The Sociological Imagination. London: Oxford University Press
Trevino, L.K. & Nelson, K.A., (2010). Managing Business Ethics 5th edition. New York: John Wiley and Sons
