Sport and Multiculturalism
During the fall semester of 2016, I again took an honors seminar with a study abroad trip in December. This was a lecture class that covered the multiculturalism of sports throughout the world. We met twice a week for an hour and a half each time. When people think of sports, they tend to think of football or basketball or baseball but it can also mean something else. In our class we defined sport as competitive, physical fun or game played by multiple people. During our class time we discussed different types of sports, what sport means to different countries and cultures, and we watched several movies. We watched a movie about soccer and how it is played and what it means throughout the world. At the end of the semester we each were assigned a city in the world and a type of sport. We were given the assignment to create an event that could host multiple countries and their teams. I was given women’s track and field in Moscow, Russia. I had to plan what would be done each day and where people would stay and what the entire event would consist of. Finally, in December, we all traveled to Melbourne, Australia. While we were there we visited a retired horse farm, saw a professional soccer game, went to a sports museum, and attended a baseball game. In addition, we had free time to explore the city and culture of Australia.
So, what did I learn from this class? I learned that there is more to sports than just a baseball game or the Super Bowl. To some people, sports are a way of life and a way that they sustain themselves and their families. I learned that there are places like Brazil where the entire economy relies on soccer. By taking this class, my eyes were opened to the cultural differences something as simple as sports can mean to people of different ethnicities and nationalities.
Now that I have taken this class, whenever I watch a sports game I see it through a different lens. I see now how privileged we are as Americans to use sports solely as entertainment. We do not rely on it for anything other than something to watch on Sundays or to play with our friends in the park. Now I have a new appreciation for sports and what it can do for countries and their people. I was never interested in sports before this class, but now I see its importance in the world and its many cultures.
Here are some pictures from my trip
So, what did I learn from this class? I learned that there is more to sports than just a baseball game or the Super Bowl. To some people, sports are a way of life and a way that they sustain themselves and their families. I learned that there are places like Brazil where the entire economy relies on soccer. By taking this class, my eyes were opened to the cultural differences something as simple as sports can mean to people of different ethnicities and nationalities.
Now that I have taken this class, whenever I watch a sports game I see it through a different lens. I see now how privileged we are as Americans to use sports solely as entertainment. We do not rely on it for anything other than something to watch on Sundays or to play with our friends in the park. Now I have a new appreciation for sports and what it can do for countries and their people. I was never interested in sports before this class, but now I see its importance in the world and its many cultures.
Here are some pictures from my trip