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10
AmericanSport–Introduction
spectaclesandareafrequentsubjectofsociologicalanalysis.Tis
wouldbe,however,agoodtopicforanutterlyseparatepaper.
AccordingtotheScottishsocialscientistandsportssociologist
GrantJarvie:
Itisimpossibletofullyunderstandcontemporarysocietyandcul-
turewithoutacknowledgingtheplaceofsport.Weinhabitaworld
inwhichsportisaninternationalphenomenon.Itisimportantfor
politiciansandworldleaderstobeassociatedwithsportsperson-
alities;itcontributestotheeconomy;someofthemostvisiblein-
ternationalspectaclesareassociatedwithsportingevents;itispart
ofthesocialandculturalfabricofdiferentlocalities,regionsand
nations;itstransformativepotentialremainsevidentinsomeofthe
poorestareasoftheworld;itisimportanttothetelevisionandfilm
industry,andthetouristindustry;anditisregularlyassociatedwith
socialproblemsandissuessuchascrime,health,violence,socialin-
equality,labourmigration,economicandsocialregeneration,and
poverty4.
HowardCosell,theaforementionedwell-knownAmericansports
broadcaster,putsitinthefollowing–laconicbutblunt–fashion:
“Sportishumanlifeinmicrocosm”5,andindeed,itseemsthatwe
canfindthereeveryaspectofhumanlife.Oneshould,however,re-
memberthat“thekindsofmeaningsthatareattachedtosportvary
enormouslyaccordingtoage,class,orsimplybyvirtueofbeingmale
orfemale”6.Sportcreatesaverycomplexandattractiveworldworth
exploring.
Takingintoaccountthenumberofsportsassociations,clubsand
facilitiesintheUnitedStates,aswellasnumbersofpeoplepractising
sportsandenthusiasticabouttheirfavoriteteams,wecanundoubt-
edlystatethatthisisasportslovingnation.Americanslikecompeti-
tion,itreflectstheirnationalspirit.Sportreflectsvaluesregardedas
typicallyAmerican:mostlyalongingtowinandadesiretoachieve
success.Itisavehiclefortransmittingsuchvaluesasjustice,fairplay
andteamwork.Certainsports,likebaseball,havecontributedtora-
4
G.Jarvie,J.Tornton,Sport,CultureandSociety,Routledge,Abingdon,NewYork
2012,p.2.
5
C.DeVito,TeUltimateDictionary,p.243.
6
R.Holt,SportandtheBritish.AModernHistory,ClarendonPress,Oxford1992,p.8.
