Sports Mediated: Athletics and the Production of Culture in 20th Century America

When we watch sports, we're watching more than a game. Newspapers, radio, television, and the internet produce athletic spectacles within certain cultural boundaries determined by profits, as well as by race, gender and class. The course questions how sports media played a generative role in late twentieth century American culture through three case studies: Michael Jordan's rise to sports stardom; the emergence of skateboarding as an "alternative" sport; and controversies surrounding transgender and transsexual athletes. Non-sports fans are welcome and encouraged! Enrollment limited to 17 first year students and sophomores. Instructor permission required.