| Kommentar |
As a cultural discourse, spectator sports are of vital significance in Western societies. They contribute to concepts of the nation as well as regional affiliations, to constructions of 'race,' class, gender, sexuality, disability, and age. Both through media coverage and representations in novels, films, televisions series, etc., sports have attained an important place in cultural imaginaries. In the United States, basketball is one of the "big three" sports that garner substantial media attention as well as financial investment. It serves as a cultural site at which notions of 'race' and gender (specifically black masculinities), corporeality, consumption and urban space are being negotiated. But NBA and college games are also broadcast to audiences outside of the US, where they acquire new meanings. The course investigates cultural dimensions of basketball from a transnational perspective, focusing on the US and Germany in particular. It is offered in conjunction with the conference "Cultures of Basketball," which is organized by American Studies scholars from the University of Paderborn, LMU München, and Humboldt University, and will be held at Humboldt University on November 22 and 23, 2013. Credit for the course requires participation in class discussions, attendance of classes and at least parts of the conference, and preparation of a poster to be displayed during the conference. |
