I loved being in this class, and I have definitely learned a lot in the past 15 weeks. I have been interested in issues related to sports and society in general, and topics related to the construction of gender in particular, ever since I took Dr. Krane’s class on gender, sexuality, and sport in the spring of 2014. Taking Dr. Spencer’s class on sport and society has definitely helped me to develop my interest in these topics further and to get a more well-rounded picture of scholarship done in this area. In my introduction post for this class, I stated the following:
In this course, I hope to learn the basic theoretical concepts that illustrate the relationship between sports and culture/society. I hope to do more work on the construction of identity through and in sports. I am also planning to apply to PhD programs with a focus in cultural studies of sport, and I see this class as a good way to prepare myself academically for these programs.
Today, I can definitely say that this course has provided me with a strong theoretical foundation to explore issues related to sport and society in the future. Because my main research interest focuses on the construction of masculinity in sports, I particularly liked our readings related to this topic. Also, I have developed a strong interest in the relationship between sports and the construction of nationhood throughout the course of the semester. Of course, I especially enjoyed the article we read about soccer patriotism in Germany. However, I also enjoyed reading about sport in the context of the construction of other nations (U.S., Australia, South Africa). One topic that I did not think about at all before taking this class was the importance of the Super Bowl in American identity. I really liked reading about the Super Bowl, and I am thinking about doing my dissertation on the construction of gender (or masculinity, if I want to be more specific) in the Super Bowl broadcast.
This blog was a great way to share my thoughts with everyone and to hear what other students have to say about the topics we covered in class. At times, I wished that more students posted on the blog. However, I really liked reading everyone’s comments in response to my blog posts, because they really made me think about the topics we covered in more detail. The insightful comments from other students in the class not only helped me to understand their position better, but also helped me reflect on my own thoughts about each topic.
This class (along with that of Dr. Krane) has further sparked my passion for scholarship on issues related to sport and society. I am now determined to pursue a PhD in Media and Communication and to make critical studies of sport an area of emphasis. I want to continue to examine constructions of identity in and through sport, and I feel like this class prepared me well to do so. This class has also showed me that as a scholar in this field I do not view myself as “just a scholar”, but rather as a scholar activist. I want to use my future scholarship to create more understanding of individuals participating in sports and to create a more inclusive sporting environment for all participating individuals.
Finally, I really loved being able to share my own culture with the rest of this class. It was great to share my experiences as a participant in sports in Germany with all of you. Thank you to all of you for making this class so much fun! Feel free to add me on Facebook if you want to stay in touch.
-Yannick
https://www.facebook.com/y.to.the.annick
Yannick, I have had a similar experience as you regarding the HMSL classes that we have taken outside of the School of Cultural and Critical Studies. Coming from a cultural and critical studies background, the topic of sport is absent in the majority of class discussions. I think courses such as Dr. Krane’s Sport, Gender, and Sexuality course and Dr. Spencer’s Sport & Society course can be beneficial for students in the School of Cultural and Critical studies because not only do the courses reinforce our understanding of various theories, but we get to see the theories applied in a different way. As we discussed in the beginning of the course and as was reinforced by the Gorn and Oriard article, sport research is practically non-existent in American cultural studies, and I think that more American cultural studies students should take at least one class in the HMSL department (or sport should be more of a focus in POPC and ACS courses).
ReplyDeleteYannick—being the only other person that frequently did a blog post I have to thank you because you made it so I was not alone! Also, I really enjoyed reading your posts throughout the semester. You have an ability to understand the readings at such a deep level and I found it very helpful to read your post and then re-read the articles. Your thoughts are always well written and helped me to understand the readings in a different way. I have found that through your comments in class and on your posts I can understand concepts much more and am able to apply them to other classes. Thank you! I also really enjoy hearing about your experiences of being a sport fan and being German. I think the international aspect you brought to the class was very helpful and interesting.
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