7.1.2
Engagement - Ethnicity
After reading these notes, test your knowledge with free interactive questions on Seneca — used by over 10 million students.
Ethnicity and Engagement in Sport
Ethnicity can play a part in sporting engagement.

Stereotyping
- Some people stereotype Black Caribbean and African groups as having better physiological (biological) make up.
- This stereotype suggests that they are better adapted to some sports.

Inequality
- At the highest level of sport in the UK, there is an imbalance (inequality) in the representation of different ethnic (related to race and nationality) groups.
- E.g. in the English football leagues and UK athletics squads, around 30% of performers are from ethnic minority communities. Only 13% of the general population are from ethnic minority communities.
Physical Characteristics - Ethnicity
The perceived physical characteristics of ethnic groups might impact their engagement in physical activity.

Perceived physical attributes
- Football and athletics rely heavily on speed, power and strength.
- Some people have suggested that certain ethnic groups have high percentages of fast-twitch muscle fibres and a long Achilles tendon. This would mean that they can create greater power transfer and would be well-suited to sports like football and athletics.
- In reality, genes are the main factor and these can vary both between and within ethnic groups.

Inequality across sport
- Lots of other sports need the same physical attributes as football and athletics. Tennis, cycling and rugby are some examples where there is high overlap in required skills.
- But there is not the same representation of ethnic minorities in many of these sports.
Inequality in Representation - Ethnicity
One reason that ethnic groups aren't equally represented across sports might be that many people from ethnic minority communities come historically from lower socio-economic groups (perhaps because they immigrated to escape persecution elsewhere).

How much disposable income you have
- If an individual doesn't have much disposable income (they have less money to spend), they may not be able to afford the equipment and the travel costs to participate in some sports.

Cost of sport
- This may explain the high percentage of ethnic minorities performing in football and athletics compared to more expensive and less accessible sports like polo or rowing.
1Applied Anatomy & Physiology
1.1The Musculoskeletal System
1.2The Cardio-Respiratory System
1.3Anaerobic & Aerobic Exercise
1.4Short-Term Effects of Exercise
2Movement Analysis
2.1Lever Systems
3Physical Training
3.1Health & Fitness
3.2The Components of Fitness
4The Principles of Training
4.1Principles of Training
5Using Data
5.1Types of Data
5.2Data Presentation & Analysis
6Sports Psychology
6.2Feedback & Preparation
7Socio-cultural Influences
7.1Engagement Patterns of Different Social Groups
7.2Commercialisation
7.3Ethical & Socio-cultural Issues
8Health & Fitness
8.1Overview of Health
8.2Sedentary Lifestyles
Jump to other topics
1Applied Anatomy & Physiology
1.1The Musculoskeletal System
1.2The Cardio-Respiratory System
1.3Anaerobic & Aerobic Exercise
1.4Short-Term Effects of Exercise
2Movement Analysis
2.1Lever Systems
3Physical Training
3.1Health & Fitness
3.2The Components of Fitness
4The Principles of Training
4.1Principles of Training
5Using Data
5.1Types of Data
5.2Data Presentation & Analysis
6Sports Psychology
6.2Feedback & Preparation
7Socio-cultural Influences
7.1Engagement Patterns of Different Social Groups
7.2Commercialisation
7.3Ethical & Socio-cultural Issues
8Health & Fitness
8.1Overview of Health
8.2Sedentary Lifestyles
Practice questions on Engagement - Ethnicity
Can you answer these? Test yourself with free interactive practice on Seneca — used by over 10 million students.
- 1Which of these is a common stereotype relating to ethnicity?Multiple choice
- 2Inequality in UK sport:True / false
- 3
- 4
- 5
Unlock your full potential with Seneca Premium
Unlimited access to 10,000+ open-ended exam questions
Mini-mock exams based on your study history
Unlock 800+ premium courses & e-books