The central idea of the article Essay: Why sports history is American history by, Mark Naison is women and black athletes had to fight to get their opportunities in sports. In the article it states, “Black people were not allowed to play most professional sports.” This explains one reason why Black American athletes couldn’t play professional sports. Another statement in the article says, “For most of the 1900’s, women were told sports were just for men.” This explains one reason why women couldn’t play any sports.
When people analyze and evaluate the history of sports from a technological aspect, games have tremendously been influenced where gathering content is attainable expeditiously with the click of a mouse. The ability to gather information so rapidly in today’s sports market is something that was unheard of about 20-30 years ago. Furthermore, technology just doesn’t influence sports; it has an impact on everything in society. For example, music has been recorded for over centuries when technology was an afterthought. There were no computers, digital mixing systems or the latest technological equipment available to past musicians during the 1920’s or 1930’s.
Sports are capable of generating tremendous changes in the nation, at least according to Sally Jenkins' The Real All Americans. The book is littered with incidences in which sporting activities played a pivotal role in changing the events in the communities. The following is an in-depth analysis of some of the events in which sport contributed to the creation of change in the various contexts. The first instance in which the book reflects the importance of sports in the society is with regards to the contribution of Football in recognition of the Indians in the American culture.
However, the period of 1900-1936 was a time of the progressive movement in the United States. Sports have a way of mirroring what is going on within society. To get an understanding of how the relationship works, there needs to be an understanding of what was occurring in society during this time. Change was brewing in the United States. One of the biggest changes involved women’s rights and the suffrage movement.
Robert Lipsyte, non-fiction, “Jock Culture” (2011); establishes that modern society is dominated by values of masculinity and the dominance of the physically strong, but this is the root of other issues further down the line. Lipsyte cites eyewitness accounts from his personal life and statements from business leaders and athletic coaches to first describe the praise athletes or “jocks” receive in their youth as well as adult life, and more importantly to reveal the flaws of this social value as it extends beyond the sport itself. Lipsyte’s purpose is to expound on the flaws of the “jock culture” ingrained in our society in order to reveal that this is the cause of other problems in our culture outside of the field or court. Lipsyte creates an analytical and contemplative tone as he explains to American youth and adults the benefits and drawbacks of praising those of athletic ability. Russell Baker, non-fiction, “The Plot Against People” (1968); humorously suggests that all of mankind’s technology can be divided into three classes and each has a unique technique to undermine human progress.
Although it can be argued that unorganized sports had a greater role in Europe during the period from 1860 to 1940, organized sports had a huge role during this time period, and was much more largely perceived by Europeans of the time. The role of organized sports from 1860 to 1940 differed in definition depending on who was asked and from what country that European came from. Some believed that sports instilled a sense of nationalism in a country’s players as well as its citizens, whether the country competed in the modern Olympics or not. On the other hand, some Europeans saw greater value in the moral lessons to be learned through organized sports. On a larger note, European womankind took a large step towards equality by competing in organized
Sports are a great way to bring a community together. However, sports have more to offer than just being a fun activity and a way to hang with friends. Lewis Lapham is correct in his assertion that sports represents more than trivial games between winners and losers; sports are deceptive and offer the illusion of hope, innocence, as well as lightness triumphing over darkness. H.G. Bissinger shows how these illusions affect a town’s reality in his book Friday Night Lights.
Some of the main highlights seen from sports today – home runs, slam dunks, three pointers, 80-yard touchdown receptions – never occurred in the early days of sports. Sports evolved drastically from 1865 to 1920, going through numerous peaks and valleys. Sometimes sports issues developed into political or social issues. Throughout the valleys, major sports were able to persevere and obtain the prominence they now have in society. Rationalization was the main reason sports survived numerous criticisms, as major changes to sports such as boxing and football allowed it to thrive.
The book highlights the good and the bad of the sport. For someone who may not be too interested in it, or just has to read it for a history class, he made it entertaining. Giving not only a history lesson on the sport but just as much on the working class of America and the emerging commercialized leisure’s and shifting social classes in the nineteenth century. Gorn is able to interweave social and political issues of the times all told with characters as colorful and wild as the early days of this country. Men crave the order of violence with rules and attach elevated importance to such contests in part because so much of life is entirely unjust and oppressive.
1970s and Sports The 70s were a time of disco, polyester suites, pet rocks, but also a time that many felt self-absorbed and challenging. Generally speaking, they were mostly the time of political justice and the rights of women and African Americans. Therefore as the U.S got more in the 70s, they found themselves to be sinking down into a difficult situation of political corruption. 1970s Historical, Social, and Political Events
In 1920s we have the first live media coverage of sports via radio. The engagement of the media into sports is what made sports famous all over the world. The radio that started from that year until now with the new media platforms that we have is what made the sports industry growth through the years. In addition, the media gave the opportunity to people to watch and learn more about sports and it influenced more people to engage with sports. Nevertheless, the combination of the media in sports with the commercialization and sponsorships that came into sports through the media is what led to the professionalization of sports and to the transformation of how sports is consumed/viewed/played in the 21st
In our current world, Sports are seen to play a big part in societies around the world and are deemed to have the power to bring people together and build communities. However, the cultural belief that sport can change the world and transcend world problems is deemed by sociologists as not true. This is known as ‘The Great Sports Myth’, and was first opposed by sociologist Jay Coakley, who claimed that it is a myth that sports cannot change the world and transcend world problems and that sports are played on an equal level and that anyone who works hard enough can achieve success, regardless of where they come from, their social class, economic status, or race. Sociologists argue that the Great Sports Myth is an oversimplification of the context
Throughout history, racism and racial segregation have played a role in our society and have made their way into sports. Black athletes have been regarded as naturally talented and used as a form of entertainment. This idea can be traced back to the era of slavery, when plantation masters occasionally put their strongest and most valiant slave against a slave from a neighboring plantation in boxing or wrestling matches (Adams). Slaves were rarely given the opportunity to participate in individual events without the consent or supervision of the slave owners (Bladdingame). During this era slaves utilized sports has a way to release built up emotions and frustrations.
In essence, sports became developed and refined based on the fact society developed and refined itself in this era. In addition, it is important to acknowledge the significance of the stratified social classes at the time. Houlihan makes another point that the impetus for this process (between sports and bureaucracy) was within the ruling elite class and their desire to control and
The white supremacy that flooded America in the 19th and early 20th century is no longer seen in the sporting world. This paper looked at sports through the lens of an individual athlete named Muhammad Ali (who definitively changed history for African-American people in the United States), as well as looked at sports as a whole throughout history. Through statistics and reports, proof has demonstrated that the sporting world has developed to give more of an opportunity for African-American athletes to compete than ever before. Athletics creates a platform that gives athletes an opportunity to be more than just an athlete. An opportunity to stand up for what they believe in and bring attention to some of the problems of the world.
