Research - Contemporary Issue - Social Theory - Essay Writing - Assessment Answer

Research Assignment

Assignment Task

What is your contemporary issue?

What is the social theory you are going to apply?

Definitions of key terms:

Why is your issue deemed to be contemporary?

One needs to look at the measures put in place to eliminate doping to understand how serious the issue is. The subject is high on debate, with opposition parties holding firm to what they believe. The core issue, whether sports and drugs are compatible. Parties, those in support of doping and those against it, have swaying arguments. On one hand, anti-doping believers emphasize on ensuring safety while conducting any kind of sports. However, sports in itself is a risky activity, and it is those who are willing to take the risk of self-destruction that emerge to be ‘sporty’. Looking at the different points, given by both parties, one cannot help but feel lost. The line of what is right becomes rather blurry. It begs the question, is doping really a big issue in sport or is it expected? Having gone through the views from both teams, after readjusting the compass of ethical and moral standards, indeed I came to a conclusion that doping should not be accepted as a norm in sports as it creates inequality among athletes. This essay breaks down the deeply discussed issue of drugs and sports and summarises, with simple points on why it is proper to play by the rules.

Doping creates an unfair added advantage among athletes

Doping is simply cheating. It gives participants an advantageous edge against their competitors. It is unfair because participants who choose to go the natural way stand little or no chance of succeeding against their opponents who have added boosters in their system. To equalise the ground, doping should be banned.

Definition of key terms:

• Doping is the use of chemical substances that enhance physical and mental performance in a competition. The substances are endorsed illegally.
• Ethics are the moral standards that people have towards each other. Ethics create equality.
• Sport is a physical activity that people engage with the purpose of competing against each other.
• Steroids are drug substance that increase one’s physical strength and muscle mass.
• Stimulants are drug substance that excites the mind of an individual resulting to an energetic behavior that would normally be confined through fatigue.

Research Method

I have mainly used peer-reviewed journals to study the subject in depth. I have also watched and analysed news on the topic. Looking at the past and present on the pressing issue has helped reach a conclusive stop.

Research findings

Sports is regarded as an activity set aside for the few individuals who put in hard work and discipline to overcome a certain barrier. Taking an example of athletes, it takes vigorous training to prepare their bodies to run short and long distances. It takes early morning to jog in high altitude areas, thereby learning how to control their breath during search moments when panting needs to be restrained(Loland, Skirstad, & Waddington, 2006). Spectators gather to watch such amazements because what they witness is something that ordinary people find impossible to do. The concept behind the Olympics is to support sports competitions worldwide, because when people beat their natural hindrances, it is simply a phenomenon that should be acknowledged. In the research, it was discovered that people uphold sports because of the respect that they give to athletes for living a healthy and disciplined life. Athletes are a role model to a society that has given into unhealthy living(Loland, Skirstad, & Waddington, 2006). They inspire their spectators to press on with their goals for eventually, they will be successful. It goes beyond healthy living and rather extends to any kind of difficulty that one may be facing. They send the message that despite the agony, they can emerge victorious. Therefore, people from all around the globe, gather for the summer and winter games, to crown the most vigilant, amongst the world’s sportiest individuals. The spectators believe that the winner wins fair and square; otherwise the competition loses its credibility.

A fair competition is not the reality. It has not been the reality from the very beginning of sports. From ancient Greeks, people have depended on special diet just before meeting their opponents. Take an example of chariot racing, athletes would consume certain herbs that contained opiates, to increase their physical strength. This was also widely accepted. In our current society, this would be deemed as cheating. To the old generation, it was about winning. John Ziegler was the first person to introduce anabolic steroids to the United States athletes(Kanayama, Hudson, & Pope, 2008). This was shortly after the Russian coach, his competitor, hinted that he gave his ‘boys’ something. The games are also about winning. To others, it is also about performance. Walking race graduated to cycling because in the latter, it is more exciting to see cyclists crashing on each other at the finishing line as compared to walk racing where athletes simply lay down after completing their race. It is such dangerous acts that set crowds into a frenzy. Athletes aim at doing better than their previous performances. They aim at breaking records, and this can be costly, to the extent of compromising health(Fair, 2009). This is what athletes confess to do, and that they would not have it any other way. The general view of the public is that sports should be natural. However, in the real world of sports, being natural is but a utopian. It is a naive believe that should only be promoted in high school.

Organisations such as the World Anti-doping Agency have put strict measures in reducing and possibly eliminating the use of drugs in sports. However, the more advanced prevention of doping increases, the more sophisticated cheating becomes. Participants have gone from submitting ‘clean urine’ for testing, urine that belongs to clean individual to blood transfusion, a methods where drug substance cannot be detected in an individual’s body system. Those who have been caught have suffered little or no consequences. Laws against the use of drugs vary from country to country(Kanayama, Hudson, & Pope, 2008). These laws surpass external laws, such as those formed by anti-doping organisations. There has been an emergence of numerous doping drugs that it creates a whole issue of what drug is legal and what drug is not. Some countries like Mexico sell banned drugs over the counter. It is difficult to address the issue of doping to a culture that embraces it. It is like how ancient Romans and Greeks depended fed their strong men with good diet before a big match. The diet included herbal leaves and roots that increased their physical strengths. The modern doping drugs are simply advancement to such simple dietary. Just like it is difficult to point out the negativity of coffee. The beverage has a stimulant, caffeine that excites the body to work beyond the point of exhaustion. It is hardly wrong to want to perform your best. Therefore, the fight to stop doping has proved to be a tough one. It needs one to be firm in ethical believes in order to defeat it.

The research conducted has supported the notion that doping is equivalent to cheating in sports. It should never be implemented in sports because it promotes not only unfair contests but it also destroys the health of participants. High performance is necessary in sports. However, real sports is one that is organised and is governed the regulations. Sports are about using physical strength as well as creativity to challenge the natural limits of humans. It is about possessing inbuilt resilience in pursuit of victory. However, when one sacrifices their well-being in virtues in order to succeed, when one cannot do without drugs because of competition, when one disfigures themselves all in the name of winning, refusing to consider safety above it all, then they cease to be engaging in sports. The activity should remain civilised, without brutality(Kanayama, Hudson, & Pope, 2008). That is how people should win, with honour. It would take great practice to master the swiftness of agility applied to given sports. Once one has mastered boldness, then one can be hailed by others as sporty.

Suggestions on how to tackle doping

• The use of drugs in sports is accepted among users because they believe it is necessary to help them win. This message should be counter reacted, especially among teenagers. Education helps create awareness. The drugs used by players have side effects which are often permanent. This includes insanity. The use of steroids makes men impotent while women develop manly features because of increased testosterone. There are people who due to doping. People need to be cautioned about such consequences.
• FIFA is a good example for the few sports that are not intensely involved in doping. Testing has helped reduce the use of drugs. However, what has been even more effective is education.
• Anti-doping should start with parents. Parents and guidance of children who are involved in sports should encourage them to avoid drugs. The most common of them being steroids(Fair, 2009). They should be on the lookout for signs of usage. The primary symptoms of steroid consumption are acne. They should strive to protect their children from coaches who are hungry for victory and would go to any length just to obtain it.
• Anti-doping organisations should work with governments to bring a stop to the practice mainly through bills. Country laws have proved to be a hindrance to the implementation of anti-doping practices. Therefore, it is important that governments are sold in to the idea of anti-doping.