Week 7: The Global Game

Key Concepts

Sport

Group culture

Identity

Fandom

 

Seminar Discussion: Playing the game…

Is sport the only truly universal and global activity we have?

How does playing sport shape who we are? Is it different for men and women?

How can sport have a positive impact on the individual (community, identity, wealth, personal ambition)?

How can sport have a negative impact on the individual (racism, exclusion, violence, elitism)?

Is sport defined by being ‘national’ or can it be ‘global’ too?

 

ESSENTIAL READING:

Giulianotti, R. 2000 ‘The Cultural Politics of Play: Ethnicity, Gender and the ‘Post-fan’ Mentality’ in Football: A Sociology of the Global Game, 146-165. Cambridge: Polity Press.

TO BE READ AND DISCUSSED IN CLASS:

‘Raffarin speaks against mixing politics with sport’: http://torchrelay.beijing2008.cn/en/journey/paris/news/n214297453.shtml

 

Associated Press. ‘Pride and politics mix after Rugby World Cup win over England’ in International Herald Tribune. 21 October 2007. http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/10/21/sports/AF-SPT-RUGU-WCup-South-Africa-Reax.php

Swarns, R. ‘Rich, but not comfortable, in South Africa’s black elite’ in The New York Times. 2 August 2002.http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C04EFD71E3BF931A3575BC0A9649C8B63&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=all

 

Movie: Zanzibar Soccer Queens (On sport and gender)

http://www.zanzibarsoccerqueens.com