Athletic Exemplars in Context: General Exemplar Selection Patterns in Relation to Sex, Race, and Age

Abstract

The study of exemplars—people who are admired, considered heroic, or viewed as worthy of emulation—is a means of comparing some of sport's symbolic or interpretive mechanisms with those of other mass phenomena that have symbolic dimensions such as television, motion pictures, and politics. An initial step is an examination of exemplar selection patterns, which is the main focus of this paper. In order to situate this examination theoretically, hypothesized functions of exemplars are discussed and related to two processes—modeling, and social interaction with reference others. Major emphasis is placed on reviewing research (including a number of previously obscure reports) concerning exemplar selections made by young people and adults in North America, limited primarily to black, white, and heterogeneous groups. Sex, race, and age of admirers and their exemplars is emphasized. Famous athletes, mostly males, seem to be one special exemplar focus of youths, and black athletes seem to be particularly salient. Directions for future research are suggested, and needs for studies of admirers' perceptions of exemplar characteristics and exemplar/admirer influence processes are highlighted.

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