Understanding American Sports

by Gerald R. Gems, Gertrud Pfister

Overview

Since the nineteenth century the USA has served as an international model for business, lifestyle and sporting success. Yet whilst the language of sport seems to be universal, American sports culture remains highly distinctive. Why is this so? How should we understand American sport? What can we learn about America by analyzing its sports culture?

Understanding American Sports offers discussion and critical analysis of the everyday sporting and leisure activities of ‘ordinary’ Americans as well as the ‘big three’ (football, baseball, basketball), and elite sports heroes. Throughout the book, the development of American sport is linked to political, social, gender and economic issues, as well as the orientations and cultures of the multilayered American society with its manifold regional, ethnic, social, and gendered diversities.

Topics covered include:

• American college sports
• the influence of immigrant populations
• the unique status of American football
• the emergence of women’s sport in the USA

With co-authors from either side of the Atlantic, Understanding American Sports uses both the outsider’s perspective and that of the insider to explain American sports culture. With its extensive use of examples and illustrations, this is an engrossing and informative resource for all students of sports studies and American culture.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780415443654
Publisher:	Taylor & Francis
Publication date:	07/22/2009
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	456
Product dimensions:	6.80(w) x 9.60(h) x 1.10(d)

About the Author

Gertrud Pfister is Professor of Sport and Social Sciences at the Institute for Exercise and Sport Sciences, Copenhagen University, Denmark. She was president of the International Society for the History of Physical Education and Sport (1984-2000) and is currently President of the International Sport Sociology Association. She serves as a member of the editorial boards for several international academic journals including The International Journal of History of Sport¸ the European Journal of Sport Sciences, and the European Physical Education Review.

Gerald R. Gems, is Professor of Health and Physical Education, North Central College, Naperville, Illinois, USA. He is past president of the North American Society for Sport History, member of the board of the International Society for the History of Physical Education and Sport, book review editor of the Journal of Sport History and author of numerous books and more than 100 articles.

Table of Contents

List of illustrations vi

Introduction: or why do we need a book like this and what is it all about? 1

1 An introduction to the United States 13

2 The evolution of American sports 37

3 A nation of immigrants 61

4 The relevance of baseball 95

5 Football games 123

6 College sports 155

7 Physical education and sports in American schools 172

8 Professional sports: development and organization 190

9 Fitness and recreational sport 201

10 Sport and race 228

11 Women and sport: the long road to liberation 250

12 The Cultural importance of sports heroes 297

13 Sport, media, consumption 335

14 Sport as big business 369

Glossary 383

Notes 390

Bibliography 399

Index 436

Editorial Reviews

"To avoid repetition, the authors offer cross-references and provide references to other resources on some topics. Throughout, boxes give readers snippets of information about significant figures, events, and ideas along with some primary sources." – Choice, L. A. Heaphy, Kent State University

From the Publisher