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A World Apart: Soccer At Home & Abroad
Associate Professor Jennifer Doyle
HASS 092-44D
Call# 20254
Tuesdays, 11:10am-1:00pm, Location TBA

This seminar is aimed at soccer players & fans who want to know more about the game - about its history, the cultural politics of the game, about the sport's economics and media coverage.

Ever wonder why the US women's team was so dominant for so long, and why they are now being challenged by teams from Germany and Brazil? Did you know that until the late 1970s throughout most of Europe it was against the rules for women to use soccer fields - and that men who refereed women's games risked losing their qualifications to work men's games? That in 1950, a team of US players of immigrant backgrounds beat England in the men's World Cup? And that they came home to absolutely no fanfare, in spite of the game's importance as one of the greatest upsets in all of sports history?

Why is soccer so 'underground' in the U.S.? What is the role of Southern California in the game's future? Why do people assume women who play are gay, but not men? Why do people in the US think televised soccer can't be commercially profitable without time-outs - when the game is so hugely profitable everywhere else in the world? And: What about Zidane and that headbutt? Why was that such a powerful symbol?

We will read samples from some of the best historians, economists, and critics of the game. As we do so, we'll tackle bigger subjects like gender dynamics, homophobia, racism, and globalization - all major topics in our day to day experiences as players and fans.

This seminar is based in discussion, and is aimed at giving students a sense of the big picture, as well as where to go when looking for more information about the aspects of the game that interest them. This is a big topic - we are only going to scratch the surface!

Students who play at any level are welcome to use this class as a way to think about their own experiences in relation to the game.

Reading List:

*Eduardo Galeano, Soccer in Sun and Shadow

Galeano is a Uruguyan writer. This is perhaps the most beautifully written book about the game - it is, in essence, a love letter from a fan who happens to also be one of Latin America's most interesting public intellectuals.

*Aemon Dumphy, Only a Game?

Mid-fielder Dumphy kept a journal during his last season playing for Millwall FC in England. This is perhaps the most compelling book ever written by a player - this is not an autobiography but a portrait of what it feels like to play, how players think, what makes a player a "pro".

Simon Kuper, Football Against the Enemy

Each chapter in this book gives an in-depth reading of the political & cultural context of a different club. One of the best introductions to the international game.

Plus excerpts from:

Alex Bellos, Futebol: The Brazilian Way of Life
Jeanne Williams, A Beautiful Game: International Persepctives on Women's Football & A Game for Rough Girls
Barbara Jacobs, The Dick Kerr, Ladies

In addition we will read newspaper articles, columns, and blogsites (such as pitchinvasion.net & theoffside.com).

Brief Biographical Statement:

Jennifer Doyle is an Associate Professor of English. She teaches courses on American literature and culture, as well as courses in gender studies. She has two sisters who went to Rutgers University on athletic scholarships, and her mother worked on the campaign for Title IX, the legislation that requires equal funding for men's and women's sports programs at schools.

She likes to play left wing & left back, and blogs about soccer.

You can read her writing about soccer at http://fromaleftwing.blogspot.com.