Games and Empires: Modern Sports and Cultural Imperialism - Softcover

Guttmann, Allen

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0231100434 ISBN 13: 9780231100434

Publisher: Columbia Univ Pr, 1996

Synopsis

English is the language of modern sports. The influence of British and American athletics around the world is indisputable--nowhere are traditional sports as popular as games like basketball, baseball, and soccer. Could this be another form of cultural imperialism? In his latest work, Allen Guttmann explores the ways in which popular modern sports have spread from their western roots to all corners of the globe. He discusses how less powerful peoples go on to adapt thes esports into their own regional variants. In addition, Guttmann points out the possibilty and reality of resistance to the diffusion of modern Western sports. Entertaining and original, demonstrating both theoretical rigor and an impressive command of foreign languages and cultures,Games and Empires makes a major contribution to the field of sport history.

About this title

Book Description:

An exploration of the ways in which modern sports have spread from their Western roots to all corners of the globe. Could this be another form of cultural imperialism?

From the Back Cover:

In his latest work, Allen Guttmann explores the ways in which such popular modern sports as soccer, baseball, and basketball have spread from their Western roots to all corners of the globe. He discusses how less powerful peoples go on to adapt these sports into their own regional variants. In addition, Buttmann points out the possibility and reality of resistance to the diffusion of modern Western sports. Games and Empires combines geographical range and historical insight to trace the ways in which key sports have affected cultural development in various countries from the nineteenth century to the present. In the process, Guttmann offers a perspective on the diffusion of sports within various societies, discussing the attempts of women to participate in male-dominated sports and the dissemination of sports from one social class to another. Games and Empires covers the introduction of cricket into societies as diverse as the United States and India; the arrival of soccer football in a number of European, Latin American, and African nations; the export of baseball to Japan and the Caribbean; the spread of basketball to the Far East and Western Europe; the global expansion of the Olympics; and the recent invasion by American sports in areas where British sports have long been dominant.

About this edition

• Publisher: Columbia Univ Pr
• Publication date: 1996
• ISBN 10: 0231100434
• ISBN 13: 9780231100434
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 275