Thanksgiving: The relationship between sport, society, and oppression
Dr Greg Hollin and colleagues have written about the relationship between sport, society, and oppression on Thanksgiving.
Reflecting on his own love of American Football and the colonial links to Thanksgiving, Greg explore the relationship between oppression and sport:
"For me, understanding the relationship between sport, society, and oppression is a fascinating and important area of sociological inquiry... Here at Leeds there are a number of scholars whose work entails a detailed understanding of the relationship between sport and society. This Thanksgiving, at a time when colonialism and sport are to the front of so many minds, I asked scholars in our school a question which speaks to this matter:
“How should we understand the role of sport within society, with particular reference to various oppressions?”
In answering this question there is first is a contribution Sonja Erikainen. Sonja is a research fellow at The University of Edinburgh but, until recently, was a research student in the school. Sonja’s PhD involved a genealogy of the female category in Olympic sport. The current piece engages extensively with Colin Kaepernick and the ‘take a knee’ movement.
Second, work from Hizer Mir. Hizer is a PhD researcher in the school. Hizer’s work concerns matters of Islam, secularization, and understandings of the public sphere and last year Hizer discussed some of these issues in relation to ‘Steph Curry’s game winning shot’ making his work particularly applicable to the current context.
Third, Phoenix Nacto. Phoenix is a PhD student in the school whose work engages with feminism, race, and popular culture. In this piece, Pheonix addresses another facet of the debate surrounding race and the NFL: the decision to invite Justin Timberlake to the superbowl in 2017 while ignoring Janet Jackson.
Fourth, a piece from Karen Throsby. Karen is Associate Professor within the school and has written extensively on gender and long distance swimming. It is from within this sporting arena that Karen situates her piece here.
Finally, the thoughts of Rodanthi Tzanelli, Associate Professor of Cultural Psychology. Rodanthi has written extensively on media, tourism, and globalization and this includes work examining recent Olympic ceremonies. The current piece, which Rodanthi has entitled ‘football mobilities’ examines oppression with a global focus very much in mind.
