How do class, gender, ethnicity and disability affect participation and opportunity in sport?
The barriers to participation and equality of opportunity facing women, ethnic minorities, disabled people and lower social classes, and the strategies and legislation that promote inclusion.
A focused answer to OCR A-Level PE on sport and social factors: the historical and contemporary barriers to participation and equality of opportunity facing women, ethnic minorities, disabled people and lower social classes (including discrimination, stereotyping and stacking), and the strategies, campaigns and legislation used to promote inclusion.
Reviewed by: AI editorial process; not yet individually human-reviewed
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What this dot point is asking
OCR wants you to identify the barriers to participation and equality of opportunity facing women, ethnic minorities, disabled people and lower social classes, and evaluate the strategies, campaigns and legislation used to promote inclusion.
Barriers facing women
Barriers facing ethnic minorities
Barriers facing disabled people
Barriers facing lower social classes and the role of inclusion
Exam-style practice questions
Practice questions written in the style of OCR exam questions on this dot point, with worked answer explainers. The year tag is the paper they imitate, not the source.
OCR 20194 marksIdentify two barriers to participation in sport for women and describe one strategy used to overcome them.Show worked answer →
A Component 03 Section A application question. Marks for two genuine barriers and one valid strategy.
Award marks for: barriers facing women include lower media coverage and fewer high-profile role models, lower prize money and sponsorship, stereotyping (the myth that some sports are unfeminine or unsuitable), fewer leadership and coaching opportunities, less leisure time due to domestic and caring responsibilities, and historically being excluded from some events. A strategy to overcome them is a targeted campaign such as This Girl Can, which uses relatable images of ordinary women being active to challenge stereotypes and the fear of judgement, alongside funding for women's sport, more televised women's events to raise role models, and women-only sessions and facilities.
Markers reward two distinct barriers and a strategy that addresses them, such as a campaign, funding or increased media coverage.
OCR 20218 marksEvaluate the barriers to participation faced by disabled people in sport and the effectiveness of strategies to increase their participation.Show worked answer →
A Component 03 extended-response (levels of response) question. Markers reward accurate barriers (AO1), application (AO2) and a reasoned evaluation of strategies (AO3).
Award credit for: disabled people face attitudinal barriers (stereotyping, low expectations, discrimination), structural barriers (inaccessible facilities and transport, few suitable clubs and trained coaches), and financial barriers (specialist equipment is costly, and disability is correlated with lower income). Strategies include accessible and adapted facilities and equipment, classification systems and disability-specific competitions (the Paralympics and parasport leagues), inclusive coaching and teacher training, the raising of role models through high-profile coverage (the Paralympic Games), and legislation requiring equal access (the Equality Act). A reasoned answer judges that high-profile events such as the Paralympics have shifted attitudes and raised role models effectively, but that the structural and financial barriers (access, transport and the cost of equipment) remain the hardest to overcome, so progress is uneven.
A top answer covers attitudinal, structural and financial barriers, weighs the strategies, and concludes which barriers are hardest to remove.
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Sources & how we know this
- OCR A Level Physical Education (H555) specification — OCR (2016)