PMA 4412 - Playing out Difference: History and Identity in Sports Film

(crosslisted) AMST 4412, FGSS 4412, VISST 4412
(CA-AS)

Fall. 4 credits. Letter grades only.

S. Sheppard.

The importance of sports to American society and popular culture cannot be denied, and this seminar will study sports films’ vital significance in representing the intersection of sports, history, and social identities. This seminar explores how the role of competition between individuals and teams in sports films relate to the competing discourses on race, gender, class, and sexuality in society at large. Additionally, we will examine how social issues are understood in sporting terms and concepts, such as: the hero and the underdog; urban and rural; natural talent versus hard work; and the individual versus team identity. (HTC)