(January 14 – April 25, 2008)
Dr. Wali R. Kharif
Room
111-B Henderson Hall Phone: (931) 372-6322
Office Hours: MW, By Appointment
Tuesday,
11:00-noon
Thursday, 3:00 -
4:30 p.m.
Friday,
2:00-4:00 p.m.
E-mail: wrkharif@tntech.edu
web-page:
gemini.tntech.edu/~wrkharif
HIST 4470-001 - HIST
5470-021*. Sports in the American Experience.
The first third of the course examines the colonial and early national
beginnings of spectator sports in the
Meeting Days, Times: T,
TH, 9:30 - 10:50 a.m.
Location:
Required Book:
Richard Davies. Sports in American Life: A History
*The graduate student, HIST 5470, must
also read and prepare 3-5 page book critiques (not reviews) on the following two
books:
John
Chalberg. Rickey and
Robinson.
Geoffrey C. Ward.
Unforgivable Blackness: The Rise and Fall of Jack Johnson.
The book critiques
shall count for 30 percent, 15 percent each, of the course grade.
Exams
(60%): There will be three exams; each is worth 20% of the course grade). *[The exams shall count as 30 percent
of the grade for HIST 5470.]
Examination Dates - Exam 1:
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
Exam 2:
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Final Exam : 10:30 – 12:30
p.m., Monday, April 28, 2008
Papers (30%) : Each student will
prepare two (2) typed 3-5 page (12-point type, and double-spaced)
papers.
A. (15%) One paper
will be on one of the following topics: 1) “The Athlete as a National Hero,”
2) “Sports and Race Relations,” 3) “The
Saga and Mystique of the Sports Champion,” or 4) “The Plight of the Female
Athlete”
B. (15%) The second
paper shall examine a sport (other than baseball, American football,
basketball, or boxing), and shall address the origins of the sport, what vacuum
(if any it filled), what value it offered society, and in general, how the
sport is played or conducted. These papers are due on or before 11:00 a.m., Thursday, April 25, 2008.
Class Participation and Attendance (10%): Class attendance and participation in discussions
are integral parts of the class. Each
student will make a 5-7 minute presentation on one of the two papers above, at
a time designated by the instructor. The presentation, to inform, will be
graded based upon originality, clarity, organization, use of language, and
delivery. (5%) Students are expected to attend class
sessions, and make meaningful contributions to class discussions. (5%)
Academic Honesty: Students are
expected to produce original works and must give credit to authors from whom
they borrow concepts and ideas, or otherwise cite in their research. Failure to cite may constitute
plagiarism. Plagiarism—intentional or not—is a very
serious violation that could result in your failing this course.
Computers: Your computer can be your best friend or your
technological nightmare. Authorities
suggest that you practice “safe computing.”
Excuses regarding hard drive crashes, computer viruses, etc., carry no
weight for assignments. Your best action
is to maintain multiple copies of your work.
Grading Scale: A = 89.5-100 B = 79.5-89.4 C = 69.5-79.4 D = 59.5-69.4 F = 59.4 and less
1.
Introduction
to Sports in
2.
The
Origins, purpose, function and value of Sports
3.
Colonists
at Play: The Age of Folk Games –Davies, Chapter 1
4.
Saints
and Sinners: Sports and Religion
5.
Gouging
and Biting: Rough and Tumble Fighting in the Southern Backcountry – Davies,
Chapter 1
6.
Refinement
of Sports in the Antebellum Period
7.
Sports
in Victorian
8.
Sports
in the Slave Quarters
9.
Harness
Racing – Davies, Chapter 2
1. Creating
National Games: Sports and the Emergence of Modern
Davies, Chapter 5
2. Baseball (The Democratic or Common
Man’s Sport):
3. Football (American Style):
Organized Warfare without Weapons – Davies, Chapters 4, 5, 7, 10 Origins
a.
The
Soccer and
b.
Evolution
of the Game
4. Basketball: The Indoor Sport – Davies,
Chapter 7
5. The
Manly Art of Boxing: From Bare
Knuckles to Gloves – Davies, Chapters 2, 5, 8, 9, 10
6. The Racing Sports – Davies, Chapters 2, 8,
9, 12
a.
Pedestrianism
b.
Track
and Field – Davies, Chapter 9
c.
Horse
Racing – Davies, Chapter 8
d.
NASCAR
– Davies, Chapter 12
March 27 April 24, 2008
1. Sports Heroes and Sports as a national
unifier–Davies, Chapter 8
2. Ethnicity,
Race, Gender and Sports –Davies, Chapters 9, 11, 14, 16
a.
The
Negro Leagues –Davies, Chapter 9
b.
Amazons
and Glamazons: Women and Sports –Davies, Chapters 7, 8,
11, 14, 16
c.
Title
IX –Davies, Chapter 11
d.
The
Challenges of College Sport –Davies, Chapters 7, 11
3. The
Big Business of Sports, or Commercialization and Sports –Davies, Chapter 12
a.
Television
–Davies, Chapter 10
b.
Revamping
the Games for Television Broadcast
c.
Professional
Wrestling
d.
NASCAR
Driving –Davies, Chapter 12
4. The Fitness
Sports: Body Building, Cheerleading
5. Miscellaneous
Concerns –Davies, Chapter 15
a.
Sports
and Political Expression
b.
Gambling
c.
The
Issue of Performance Enhancing Drugs and Sports
d.
Racial
and Gender Equity
e.
The
Duke Debacle
f.
The
Imus Incident
6. The Amateur
and Professional
a.
Amateur
Sports
b.
Regulating
Intercollegiate Sports
c.
Professional
Sports
d.
The
Grey Area: Amateur in one Professional in another