Andrew is a third year chemical engineering student at the University of Louisville. He grew up in Hodgenville, KY. Which is a small town just south east of Elizabethtown. He lives in an apartment with one other student also attending the University of Louisville and myself. This apartment is where the interview took place.
The topic that I chose for this ethnographic interview was sports in American culture. Sports are popular in America, and are a big part of the culture in America. I would say most people in America have played sports, whether they played as kids, in high school, at the collegiate level, or even professional. A great deal of people also enjoy watching sporting events. The following were the questions asked during the interview. How have sports affected your life? Why do you think sports are so popular in America’s culture? How are sports a part of the culture in America? What do you think about the amount of money spent on spectator sports?
I started off the interview by asking how sports have affected his life. Sports are an important part of most American’s lives, including Andrews. Andrew is a big sports fan and played soccer on his high school team. “Sports have been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. Starting from when my dad first taught me how to throw, kick and hit a ball.” “It was a way for me to bond with my family and friends as I was growing up.” From this interview I learned that athletics/sports were a way
Sports has always been an essential and aspect of American society, it plays an incredible important role in most Americans lives. As well as economy boost by billion every year, sports are known to increase community spirit, give players a greater sense of purpose, even gives young athletes fundamental life skills and more. For sports to remain a positive image in America, there are at least 10 ways to improve sports in American Society. In this proposal I will explain 10 ways to improve sports in American Society by addressing the issue and a way to cure the issue in society.
In our society sports are a very important social construction. As sports continue to grow, they are becoming more integrated into the major spheres of social life. Sports have become an entity, due to the fact that they not only create entertainment and jobs; sports have become a huge platform for various causes. Sports are extremely important to our society and have very powerful influences. Though experiences vary from person to person, most people have some sort of experience with sports. I personally have experienced sports more from the spectator and participant stance, and have been impacted from each perspective a great deal. Compared to sophomore safety, Jamal Adams my sports experience has been very different from impact and perspective.
Abstract: Society is affected every day by many different kinds of sports. These sports often govern society's way of life. People all over the nation turn their TVs to sporting events, such as golf, during the weekends. Scott Stossel states that "more than six million Americans enjoy watching golf on the weekends." Parents use sports as a teaching tool for their children. Kids learn teamwork and discipline from team sports programs and sports have also helped many students with their grades. Kids who want to compete in school sports are taught to keep their grades up or they won't be able to play, but the greedy coaches and schools often look around grades to keep their "star athletes" in the games. Adults have
Winning is the Only Thing: Sports in America Since 1945 by Randy Roberts and James S. Olson discusses the history of sports beginning with World War II, through the Cold War to present day. For the most part, this book discusses the effects that World War II had on the way sports were played and how the public viewed sports, however the underlying message was another. The book focuses on how people evolved with the changes that sports encountered. People’s perspectives changed from one of trying to make a living to trying to make the most money. As people changed sports changed, which in turn changed people again.
Everyone has played a sport in their life time. There 's a wide variety of sports and it differs from person to person. Sports since the beginning as grown and escalated quickly for the centuries. Everyone has played a sport since they were a little kid. Sports might just flow with people, and some people are average, some people find sports not exciting at all. Sports has changed the world, and the history of places all around the world. In america sports has changed american history.
Sport is a global phenomenon, it is a common between all the nations of the world there is not one culture that has not engaged in a way or another in some type of sporting activity; such activities are not only often physically challenging and mentally stimulating – they also provide a sense of belonging and personal meaning to people’s lives. In American culture like many other cultures worldwide winning is highly prized and cherished by fame and money from audiences and sponsors.
When one wishes to gain an insider understanding of a culture from a hands-on perspective they more than normally should be recommended to conduct a form of field-work known as ethnography. According to Merriam-Webster ethnography is a study of a human culture or subculture. Ethnography is a participant observer type methodology where one does not only gain information about a culture but also gains an unambiguous paradigm through which the anthropologist can see. The ethnographer is able to interview the people of the culture along with play vital roles in the rituals and other ways of their everyday life. At first many ethnographers were doing field work in undeveloped countries such as Asia, Africa, and South America. Today however, they are moving towards the post-industrialized cultures and subcultures. I decided to conduct ethnography about the life of a collegiate level student-athlete. It is an American culture where high school graduate gains free admission to a college education in turn for service in a particular sport. These sports include baseball, soccer, softball, basketball, tennis, track and field and golf. I decided to study the life of a student-athlete who participates in the football program. During my participation of collegiate leveled sports and education I have been awarded the opportunity to delve deep into the facets of acquiring and maintaining a free postsecondary education, engaging in a highly competitive athletic lifestyle, while managing the
Sports culture in the United States is a double-edged sword for minorities. It can promote a positive and progressive image of race dynamics but can also recreate racial issues in a large scope with more media attention. This is no different for Asian American women. Typically overlooked in research and mainstream media, a new intersectional feminist movement has finally sought to include Asian American women in research and look at their impact on sports culture in their own communities as well as the nation. While representing a small portion of American athletes, only 1.8% of all scholarship athletes, they have made substantial contributions to feminism and family dynamics within their own communities. In popular thought Asian American
When a person of a specific gender enters a non-traditional sport for their gender/sex, many social and moral issues will arise challenging that person involved in that particular sport. The intentions of the individual will be questioned as well as their personal interest in the sport. Before any of these questions are asked, there must be a redefinition of gender roles, femininity, and masculinity. In order for a person to enter a non-traditional sport for their gender/sex without being criticize about gender morality, society must set flexible definitions for femininity and masculinity.
Baseball has for a long time been a staple in the American sporting culture as baseball and America have grown up together. Exploring the different ages and stages of American society, reveals how baseball has served as both a public reflection of, and vehicle for, the evolution of American culture and society. Many American ways including our landscapes, traditional songs, and pastimes all bear the mark of a game that continues to be identified with America's morals and aspirations. In this paper I will be addressing the long residuals of baseball as it specifically relates to the emergence of the
No matter what is your social class, everyone can participate in sports. Social class can determine which sports you play. For example, according to sociologist Thomas Wilson, the people who make up the lower class are most likely to play football and boxing, and the upper classes are most likely to play golf and tennis. The upper class are most likely to attend sporting events, and when the lower class attend sporting events, it is usually a boxing or wrestling match. Additionally, better-educated people are more likely to attend sports events, which relates to the higher educated you are, the more money you will make, and it will be able to spend on leisure. Furthermore, speaking from experience no matter what is your social class we all cheer for the same team whether it is in the nosebleed seats or courtside or even at home.
Sports of old were merely competitive activities rooted in heroism and romanticism. Sports activities today, however, have no such innocence or simplicity. Currently in America, the activities that make up our sports culture is not only the competitive events themselves but the processes and issues that underlie and surround them. Entwined in our sports culture is the giant business of mass broadcasting. Indeed, sports and the media go hand in hand like peanut butter and jelly, like Mickey and Minnie, Darth Vader and Luke. They are intertwined and depend on each other to continue to grow. Sports media includes television, radio, magazines, newspapers, books, films, and, now, most importantly, social media devices provided by the
Sport plays a huge role in today’s society. It contributes to one’s health and fitness, social interaction, social and motor skills, patriotism, fun and entertainment. It also stimulates the economy and tourism leading to interaction between different cultures, for example the Olympics, and sport role models. Sports clearly are an important part of cultures and societies around the world as such events as the Olympics
In America, despite the number of people who attend church and participate in religious activities, you could assume sports are the new religion. There's the seasonal NASCAR on Sundays and Monday night football, but most sports such as, baseball, basketball, soccer, and hockey hold their events on any given day of the week. Many Americans arrange their schedules to either attend or watch these events on television. You could even go so far as to say Americans idolize athletes and sports stars, considering the billions of dollars spent on sporting events and merchandise. We?re very proud of sports and proudly wear our favorite team or player across our chests, on our heads, and display logos on our cars and in our houses.
The three primary research methods that I chose were: surveys, interviews, and observations. I thought that these three primary research methods would be the most beneficial in finding out most of the answers to all of my questions. I made a survey of ten questions related to sports. Some of the basic questions that I asked were: What is your gender? How well do you like sports? Did you play sports in high school? Do you watch sports on television? Some of the more in depth questions that I asked were: When watching your favorite sporting event, how excited do you get? What is your favorite sport to play? What is your favorite sport to watch on television, if any? Have you ever been to a professional sporting event? How many hours of sports, on average a week do you watch? Do you think that sports are primarily for