2023-2024 Academic Catalog

May 30, 2024

2023-2024 Academic Catalog

HIST 048 - Sports in 20th Century America

From “Betty Bloomer” bicycling to the esports marketplace, the meaning, importance and influence of sports in America has undergone many transformations since the beginning of the 20th century. This course examines those transformations in terms of the sports themselves, the participants, the spectators and the media. We will address questions such as: What exactly is a sport? What roles have sports played within American culture more broadly? What is the relationship between sports and politics? How have sports created, reinforced and/or challenged inequalities regarding race, ethnicity, gender, ability and health? In order to consider these questions, we will dive deeply into the history of both popular and niche sports. This course will use the story of baseball to illuminate key themes and issues in U.S. history. These include urbanization; mass media, transportation, and culture; immigration and assimilation; race and civil rights legal issues; labor struggles; and globalization. This course will emphasize critical analysis, especially how to interpret sources, from written texts to photographs, films, cartoons, and music, and will include several field trips.

Course Designation/Attribute: HP

Anticipated Terms Offered: Offered periodically