The focus of my research for this project came as a way to show that there is a direct connection between what people are labeled as and popularity in the high school setting. My hypothesis for this is as follows: Those who play sports are much more likely to gain popularity and prestige compared to those who are thought to be intelligent and outsiders.
             Previous studies had shown that there is a direct correlation between these factors. Just as Jill J. Suitor and Rebecca S. Carter said in their study of regional gender norms, there is a direct impact on those who are though to be popular and athletic compared to those that are more studious and less outgoing. Their studies showed that there were some seventy-nine ways that a high school student could gain prestige. For boys the main way to gain was participating in some sort of varsity athletic sport. This was seen important over and over again in the study. Regionally, where you from did not make a difference since the majority surveyed had the same responses each time. Intelligence played a small role in girls saying that you gain prestige by that. Some 55.6% said that was important, however close behind was again the role of playing a sport at 52.3% (Suitor/Carter 1998, 21)
             More research has proven that those who are much more outgoing and social at a younger age are able to gain prestige and popularity that carries on in their life. Participant observations had been made in this field and only until now can there be even more of a specific groups that can be looked at. From data collected a few years ago by Patricia Hersch for her book called A Tribe Apart, she was able to get into the lives of seven young adults that ranged in age. The study took place over the course of a few years. What was found was that many of the young adolescents that were socially outgoing and played a sport were treated with much more prestige and popularity compared to those who were more of an o...