Aaron W. Clopton

Re-conceptualizing social anchors in community development: utilizing social anchor theory to create social capital's third dimension

Social anchor theory (SAT) states that, within any given community context, there are social institutions that serve to anchor social networks, thereby contextualizing the community and its networks. In this re-conceptualization, social anchors are defined as any institution that supports the development and maintenance of social capital and networks at the community level and provides an attachment for the collective identity of that community. They may take various forms, including schools, sport teams, corporations, natural structures or cultural events. In order to be social anchors, these institutions must allow for social capital development in the form of bonding or bridging, provide a point of connection for various members of the community across racial, gender, and other demographic boundaries, and provide some form of uniqueness or identity for community members. Anchors must enhance or construct a sense of community, trust, or reciprocation within social networks.

Social capital and team performance

Purpose – This article attempts to contribute to the body of knowledge regarding the value of social networks, or social capital, within the group process towards group and team performance by exploring the explicit contribution of social capital towards a group or teams performance.Design/methodology/approach – The research views the potential contribution of social capital through the perspective of the resource‐based view of organizations, where social capitals unique potential contribution to the organizations competitive advantage is highlighted. Data were collected from undergraduate student‐athletes (n=570) from 23 NCAA colleges and universities across the USA using a multiple hierarchical regression analysis.Findings – Results show a significant connection between social capital and team performance. This contribution is above and beyond other input and process variables, such as past team performance.Research limitations/implications – Data were limited to a cross‐sectional view of social capi...

From Message to Messenger?: Assessing the Impact of Athletics on a College Campus

Abstract Historical justification for big-time intercollegiate athletics has often pointed towards its community-building ability (Toma, 2003). The current research sought to establish a theoretically-driven instrument assessing the impact of athletics on a college campus and to explore this perception through the Common Ingroup Identity Model (Gaertner & Dovidio, 2000). According to the CIIM, it was hypothesized that ones identification with the university (superordinate identity) would supersede ones identity with the athletics program as a fan or athlete (subordinate identity).

Immunoendocrine alterations following Marine Corps Martial Arts training are associated with changes in moral cognitive processes

Combined physical and psychological stress events have been associated with exacerbated endocrine responses and increased alterations in immune cell trafficking when compared to exercise stress alone. Military training programs are rigorous in nature and often purposefully delivered in environments combining high levels of both physical and mental stress. The objective of this study was to assess physiological and cognitive changes following U.S. Marine Corps Martial Arts training. Seven active-duty, male Marines were observed during a typical Marine Corps Martial Arts training session. Immune parameters, including immunomodulatory cytokines, and hormone concentrations were determined from blood samples obtained at baseline, immediately post training (IP) and at 15min intervals post-training to 1h (R15, R30, R45, R60). Assessments of cognitive moral functioning (moral judgment and intent) were recorded at intervals during recovery. There were significant fluctuations in immunoendocrine parameters. Peak endocrine measures were observed within the IP-R15 time interval. Distributions of circulating immune cells were significantly altered with neutrophils and all lymphocyte subsets elevated at IP. IFN-γ and IL-17a exhibited small, non-significant, parallel increases over the recovery period. Moral functioning was informed by different social identities during the recovery resulting in changes in moral decision-making. These data demonstrate that the Marine Corps Martial Arts Program induces significant alterations in lymphocyte and leukocyte distributions, but does not shift the balance of Th1/Th2 cytokines or induce a systemic inflammatory response. The program does, however, induce alterations in moral decision-making ability associated with the observed endocrine responses, even suggesting a potential interaction between ones social identities and endocrine responses upon moral decision-making.

Southern Comfort?: Exploring Regional Differences in the Relationship Between Fan Identification and Sense of Community Among College Students

Abstract Identification with sports teams has been linked with such constructs as membership esteem (Murrell & Dietz, 1992), prosocial behavior (Platow et al., 1999), and attitudes (Wann & Branscombe, 1993). Using the Social Identity Theory (Tajfel & Turner, 1986) and, subsequently, identity salience (Stryker, 1980), the current research sought to examine if said identification was linked with perceptions of sense of community, and if this relationship differed between northern and southern respondents. Data revealed southern respondents showing significantly greater levels of sense of community and fan identification (ps<.001). Further, fan identification exhibited significant predictability of sense of community (R2∆= .11, p<.001) after controlling for appropriate variables. Moreover, this relationship was significantly mediated by regional affiliation (Sobels test =3.59, p<.001).

Race, Social Capital, Adjustment, and Intercollegiate Athletics: The Opportunity to Improve Social Acclimation at Academic Institutions

ABSTRACT Contemporary research suggests that there is a stratification of adjustment levels for collegiate students. Past scholars have found that ethnic minority students at predominantly White institutions have lower adjustment scores than White students. Further, ethnic minority student-athletes have lower levels of adjustment when on the campus at large, but interestingly they have shown higher levels of adjustment when in the team setting. These circumstances prompted the question: What impact does team social capital have on ethnic minority student-athletes’ adjustment variables? Over 1000 student-athletes were surveyed. Results of the study showed that team social capital is a mediator between race and adjustment. Thus, practical implications are such that athletic teams should consider extending the team concept to the campus environment as much as possible to increase the adjustment of their ethnic minority student-athletes and potentially mitigate some of the negative consequences of the lack of adjustment.

Where Does It Begin? Exploring Gender Differences in Student-Athletes’ Perceptions of Entering the Coaching Profession

The current study sought to trace the origin of gender disparity in the coaching landscape from student-athletes’ perceptions, framed through Social Cognitive Career Theory. To examine the cognitive-person variables in line with previous coaching and SCCT research, scales were derived for perceived social supports and barriers, perceptions of positive and negative outcome expectations, and perceived self-efficacy in coaching. Student-athletes were randomly selected online from 23 institutions across three Bowl Championship Series conferences, while data were coded into a MANCOVA. Results indicated male student-athletes reported greater levels for perceived barriers to enter the coaching profession, perceptions of positive outcome expectations, and for coaching self-efficacy than did their female counterparts. These findings suggest that gender differences within the college coaching profession may be, in part, due to perceptions formed before entry.

Advocacy in Action: Sustaining the Physical Activity Effort

May/June 2012 As we examine our advocacy efforts in the promotion of physical activity, it is imperative that we keep in mind the holistic view of sustaining change and development throughout the movement. While in effect the industry was popularized with the “people, planet, profits” moniker, the idea of the triple bottom line approach has much salience to improving the physical activity programs of which we champion. In essence, the triple-bottom line suggests that for any program, intervention, or business to experience a sustainable level of success and development, it must satisfy three pillars of sustainability: economic, environmental, and social. The first, economic, is one that most educators are often familiar with. Here, we have the responsibility of showing that physical activity makes good fiscal sense. In fact, it is our “burden of proof” to connect beneficial outcomes (i.e., health benefits, academic benefits, etc.) back to physical activity in a direction that can be shown to improve traditional bottom lines in schools such as fiscal budgets and academic progress. Such an approach is only a reminder of what we already know well – that what we do within the physical activity curriculum both now and in the future must be shaped to target measurable outcomes that have a positive spillover into both the academic and local communities. Other opportunities to improve the traditional fiscal bottom line might include: • Making physical activity the center of fundraisers for schools and communities, rather than selling various goods throughout neighborhood communities. • Looking for opportunities to improve data collection of physical activity outcomes and the extent to which varied elements of the physical activity curriculum can be tied to academic gains throughout the course of the year.