Publisher:
The University of Wisconsin Press, Madison, Wisconsin
Few areas of study offer more insight into American culture than competitive sports. The games played throughout this nation's history dramatically illuminate social, economic, and cultural developments, from the balance of power in world affairs to...
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Few areas of study offer more insight into American culture than competitive sports. The games played throughout this nation's history dramatically illuminate social, economic, and cultural developments, from the balance of power in world affairs to changing conceptions of race, gender, and sexuality. This book provides strategies for incorporating sports into any U.S. history curriculum. Drawing upon their own classroom experiences, the authors suggest creative ways to use sports as a lens to examine a broad range of historical subjects, including Puritan culture, the rise of Jim Crow, the Cold War, the civil rights movement, and the women's movement. Essays focus on the experiences of African American women, working-class southerners, Latinos, and members of LGBTQ communities, as well as topics including the controversy over Native American mascots and the globalization of U.S. sports
List of illustrations -- Acknowledgments. Introduction: using sports history to teach American history / Brad Austin and Pamela Grundy. Part 1 Modernization and globalization : Organized, team, sport: teaching a powerful American idea / Marc Horger -- Teaching sports scandals / Chris Elzey -- "Ambassadors in short pants": sport and the cold warriors / Rita Liberti -- The shifting geography of professional sports / Brad Austin -- The globalization of American sport / Lars Dzikus and Adam Love. Part 2 Gender and sexuality : Issues of sexuality in sport / Sarah K. Fields -- The shaping of "women's sport" / Pamela Grundy -- Teaching sports and women's history through "The Babe" / Susan E. Cayleff -- Black women face obstacles and opportunities / Pamela Grundy and Rita Liberti -- Title IX: contested terrain / Bobbi A. Knapp. Part 3 Race and ethnicity : Jim Crow at play / Pamela Grundy -- Race and rebellion in the progressive era / Matthew Andrews -- Teaching black college athletics: challenges and opportunities / Derrick E. White -- Sports, civil rights, and black power / Lauren Mormoto -- Diverse experiences of Latino/a athletes and their role in U.S. sport history / Jorge Iber -- What's in a name? Teaching the history of American Indian mascots / Andrew Frank. Part 4 Case studies : Colonial sporting cultures / Brad Austin -- Baseball and American exceptionalism / Leslie Heaphy -- NASCAR 101: moonshine, fast cars, and southern working-class agency / Daniel Pierce -- The political Olympics / Derek Charles Catsam -- Lights, camera, action: teaching American sport through film / Ron Briley. Resources and suggestions / Brad Austin and Pamela Grundy. Contributrors -- Index
