Sports, place, & identity

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# Sports, place, & identity
### GEOG 30793
### May 14, 2019

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## Today's agenda

* Introduction to spatial theory

* Territory, place, scale, networks (TPSN)

* Case study: the "South" and SEC football

* Case study: Sports and rural America

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## Discussion: how are sports related to places?

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## Spatial theory

* __Social theory__: the application of theoretical frameworks to understand and interpret social phenomena

* __Spatial theory__: The use of theoretical frameworks to understand how social phenomena operate with regards to geography, space, and places

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## The "production of space"

* _La production de l'espace_ by Henri Lefebvre (French sociologist)

* Core ideas:
    * Space is a _social product_
    * _Every society_ produces their own "spaces"

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## _Absolute_ and _Relational_ space

Key distinctions in spatial theory:

* _Absolute space_: space as physical, material reality

* _Relational space_: space existing _relative_ to a particular social & temporal context

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## The TPSN theoretical framework

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## The "TPSN" framework

* Framework used to _theorize sociospatial relations_

* Components:

* _Territory_
    
    * _Place_
    
    * _Scale_
    
    * _Networks_

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## Territory

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## Territory and sport

.footnote[Source: [CityPages](http://www.citypages.com/news/twins-territory-stretches-into-wisconsin-according-to-baseball-fandom-map-6537215)]

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## Sports "territories"

* MLB Baseball: https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2014/04/24/upshot/facebook-baseball-map.html

* NCAA (FBS) football: https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2014/10/03/upshot/ncaa-football-map.html

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## Place

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## Sport and place identity

.footnote[Source: [NYC Parks](https://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/alexander-hamilton-playground/facilities/basketball)]

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## Sport and place identity

.footnote[Source: [ActiveRain](https://activerain.com/blogsview/1923491/dominion-valley--a-stunning---sophisticated-gated--golf-course-community-in-haymarket--va)]

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## Sport and place identity

.footnote[Source: [NEO Sports Insiders](http://www.neosportsinsiders.com/suburban-league-baseball-standings-april-24/)]

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## Scale

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## Scale and sport

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## Networks

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## Networks and sports fandom

.footnote[Source: [SteelersBars.com](http://www.steelersbars.com/texas/woodys-tavern/)]

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## Case study: The "South"

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## Discuss: what makes the South distinctive?

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## Territory and "the South"

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## "SEC Country"

.footnote[Source: [Belmont Icehouse](https://belmonticehouse.com/portfolio/texas-am/)]

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## Football and Southern pride

.footnote[Source: [Grantland](http://grantland.com/features/s-e-c-s-e-c-s-e-c/)]

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## Southern cultural symbols

.footnote[Source: [ESPN.com](http://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/21067022/college-football-saturday-sec-country-waffle-house)]

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## The South, football, and US history

.footnote[Source: [Sport in American History](https://ussporthistory.com/2015/06/29/confederate-iconography-and-southern-college-football/)]

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## Sports and rural America

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## The "state of hockey"

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## "Hoosiers"

.footnote[Source: [AOL.com](https://www.aol.com/2014/02/14/french-lick-indiana-a-visit-to-larry-birds-hometown/)]

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## Friday Night Lights

.footnote[Source: [Bustle.com](https://www.bustle.com/articles/154953-7-books-for-friday-night-lights-fans-who-love-football-texas-and-tim-riggins)]

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## Rural population change

.footnote[Source: [USDA ERS](https://www.ers.usda.gov/amber-waves/2017/september/rural-areas-show-overall-population-decline-and-shifting-regional-patterns-of-population-change/)]

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## Schools, sports, and rural identity

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## Next up: Sports and nationalism

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