Myth & Reality: Social Mobility of the American Olympic Athletes

Abstract

As a social institution, sport is one of the most powerful agencies in changing and molding lives of young people. It is especially true in the case of athletes who had the opportunity and fortune to participate in the Olympic Games. The question as to how Olympic participation influences one's life-course had never been investigated in the United States. Yet this question is fundamental. It directs our attention to the age-old riddle: do sports build character and create opportunities or do young and aspiring people gravitate toward sports as an expression of human excellence? This study provides a glimpse into the social status, prestige and mobility of athletes as a consequence of Olympic participation.