ANS 301M • Sports and Culture in Asia and the US
1:00 PM-2:00 PM
This course explores the role of sport in Asian societies such as Japan and China, and compares this to sport in the U.S. We will consider the development of baseball in East Asia, the importance of soccer in contemporary Asian societies, and the global nature of modern sport expressed through the movement of players across national boundaries. What is the meaning of players such as Seattle Mariners star Ichiro Suzuki for Japanese and for Americans? Why was the 2002 Soccer World Cup hosted jointly by Japan and Korea politically important for both countries? In addition to these specific questions we will also look at broad questions such as the relationship between ritual and sport, nationalism and sport, and sport as an expression of local identity.
This course involves completion of one thought exercise, two short reaction papers (500 words each), a mid-term exam, and a final exam. The thought exercises are graded on the basis of whether ot not they are completed (full credit for completion, no credit for failure to complete) and are worth 10% of your grade. The short papers are each worth 20%, the mid-term is worth 20% and the final is worth 30%. The mid-term and final will both be in-class exams and both witll require a blue book.
Robert Whiting. The Meaning of Ichiro G. F. Will. Men at Work: The Craft of Baseball S. Brownell. Training the Body for China: Sports in the Moral Order of the People's Republic W. Manzenreiter and J. Horne (eds.) Football Goes East: Business, Culture and the People's Game in China, Japan and South Korea L. Spielvogel. Working Out in Japan: Shaping the Female Body in Toyo Fitness Clubs