Football and American identity
Author(s)
Bibliographic Information
Football and American identity
(Contemporary sports issues)
Haworth Press, c2005
- : hard
- : soft
Available at / 7 libraries
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Note
Includes bibliographical references (p. 245-265) and index
Description and Table of Contents
Description
Learn the value of football to American society
No sport reflects the American value system like football. Visitors to the United States need only watch a game or two to learn all they need to know about the American way of life and the beliefs, attitudes, and concerns of American society. Football and American Identity examines the social conditions and cultural implications found in the football subculture, represented by core values such as competition, conflict, diversity, power, economic success, fair play, liberty, and patriotism. This unique book goes beyond the standard fare on football strategy and history, or the biographies of famous players and coaches, to analyze the reasons why the game is the essence of the American spirit.
Author Gerhard Falk, Professor of Sociology at the State University College of New York at Buffalo, examines football as a game, as a business, and as a reflection of the diversity in American life. Football and American Identity also addresses the relationship between football and the media, with much of the game's income generated by advertising and endorsements, and examines the presence of crime in football culture. The book discusses the development of the gameand those involved in itat the Pop Warner, college, and professional levels, examining the social origin of players, coaches, cheerleaders, and owners. In addition, Football and American Identity analyzes the game's fans and their devotion to their teams, examines why Pennsylvania is considered the mother of American football, and looks at the National Football League and its commissioners.
Football and American Identity examines:
how individualism and achievement can lead to mythological status
why a person's occupation is the most important indicator of prestige in the United States
what the consequences are of earning more in a year than most Americans make in a lifetime
why equality is vital to the ethnic make-up of American football teams
why teamwork is important-in football and in industry
how freedom is essential for taking the risks necessary for success
and much more!
Football and American Identity is an inside look at football as an American cultural phenomenon. Devoted and casual fans of the game, as well as academics working in sociology, will find this unique book interesting, entertaining, and thought-provoking.
Table of Contents
Preface
Introduction
Chapter 1. The School and American Football
The Social Psychology of Football
The Academic Achievements of Football Players and Other Athletes
Children's Football
Football and Aggression
Death and Injury on the Playing Field
Football As an Alternative Status System
Summary
Chapter 2. College FootballThe Professionals' Minor League
Football Develops a Subculture
Recruiting College Football Players
Money and GreedThe College Football Business
The Race Issue in College Football
Who Plays College Football?
The College Football CoachRole Model for All Seasons
Football Injuries and Football Deaths
Cheerleaders
Summary
Chapter 3. Football As a Profession
A Brief History of Professional Football
The Coming of Television
Race and the NFL
Football Fanatics
The Domestic Lives of Football Players
Professional Football Players As Victims
Professional Football and Social Class
Summary
Chapter 4. Football and Social Stratification
The Status of Football Players
Wealth, Income, and the Football Business
Race and Football: A Mixed Marriage
The Jewish Football Experience
Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Texas: Mothers of American Football
Gender and Sexual Orientation
Retired Football Players
Summary
Chapter 5. They Also Serve
Coaches
Scouts
Trainers
Officials
Cheerleaders
Football Doctors, Injuries, and Drugs
General Managers
Owners
Summary
Chapter 6. Fanatics
The Football Hall of Fans
Female Football Fans
The Football Culture
Regional and Generational Differences Among Football Fans
The Tailgate Party and the Football Diet
In Groups and Out Groups
Fan Violence
Fantasy Football
The Influence of Gender on Human Contact
Catharsis
Summary
Chapter 7. Football and the Media
Announcers and Analysts
Football and the Written WordPrint Journalism Supports the Game
Women Enter the Locker Room
Magazines
Football Books
Football in Film
Football Songs and Lyrics
Football Jokes
Summary
Chapter 8. The Football Business
Money, Money Everywhere
Film Production
Advertising
Merchandise
Contract Advisers/Agents
Lawyers
Stadium Construction Profits
Gambling
Small Business Contracts
Summary
Chapter 9. Crime and American Football
The Benedict-Yaeger Research
Felonies and Misdemeanors: The Football Culture of Crime
Super Bowl XXXIV
Understanding Criminality Among Football Players
Gambling and Drugs
The Sociology of Crime
Summary
Chapter 10. The National Football League
Football Politics and the South
College Football Politics
The Commissioners
The NFL Machine
Urban Warfare
The International NFL
From Football to Politics
The NFL Community
Summary
Epilogue
Notes
Index
by "Nielsen BookData"