In the aftermath of a big disaster-natural or human made- that displaces and effects thousands, sometimes millions of people there is an initial reaction to help any way possible. There are lives that have been changed forever. These people just want to be consoled and be told that everything is going to be alright, even that might not be true. And professional sports and their athletes have the ability to be there for these people and help bring up their spirits. In the article “Sport and disaster relief: A content analysis” the authors discuss how pro sports aside from financial donations provide support through a myriad of ways. Obviously monetary gifts are nice and needed, especially in the wake of disaster. They “further assisted in providing needed resources for disaster victims through public service announcements and allow their stadiums to be used as a temporary shelter” (Inoue, Harvard 361) for the locals affected which almost seems to mean more than a financial gift. It’s also nice having the presence and support from a professional organization or individual athlete. They provide emotional support and can have a one on one conversation and bring a smile and love to the victims of these tragedies who might be struggling to cope with what is happening. Visits from athletes and teams following tragedy can help “build goodwill with its consumers” (364)-its fans. The interactions of professional athletic organizations not only puts their brand out there, but more likely than not its “consumers develop positive attitudes” (364) towards these teams and the athlete(s) they encountered. So it’s a win-win for everyone involved. And in general I just think it’s nice to see pro athletes out and about in the community and helping any way they can. It’s a reminder that they aren’t just athletes but also people.

Inoue, Yuhei; Harvard, T. Cody 2015. “Sport and disaster relief: a content analysis”. Emerald Group Publishing Limited. 24(3): 355-368. Accessed April 2nd, 2017.  doi: http://0-search.proquest.com.books.redlands.edu/docview/1690997682?accountid=14729

In the 2013 article, “The Integrative Role of Sport in Multicultural Societies”, the authors examine the role sport plays in bringing people together from different cultural backgrounds and the bonds of friendship that are created. Sports are more than just about winning and losing. Winning is always nice, it does feel good to see hard work payed off with a victory. However, when we step back and look at it from the outside sport is the vehicle that brings people together. In some cases, it can be catalyst for conversation that sparks progressive change.  They create a community of people from different upbringings and “help protect against social exclusion and facilitating inclusion” (192) and in my opinion is the purpose of them. They help give “individuals a sense of belonging” (192) and allows people to feel a part of community that normally wouldn’t have a group of people around them that supports them. Teams in some cases can become one’s family and their teammates become their brothers and sisters. And those who do participate on a team sport “experience greater interaction and may develop socially adaptive attitudes” (197) and become more open minded of other cultural backgrounds. It’s also important to note that one most important studies the authors looked at was looking at whether or not international students at US colleges, participating in sports “was used as a vehicle for adapting to a multicultural environment” (195). And it was found that “sport participation was more important for adapting to a multicultural environment rather than retaining cultural identity” (195) which tells me sports can be a vehicle that allows people to 1) have a better understanding of what’s around them and 2) can help breaks down stereotypes of people from different backgrounds.

Hatzigeorgidis, Antonis; Morela, Eleftheria Morela; Elbe, Anne-Marie; Kouli, Olga; Sanchez, Xavier. October 9, 2013. “The Integrative Role of Sport in Multicultural Societies”. Hogrefe Publishing (Germany). 18(3): 191-202. Accessed March 26, 2017. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1027/1016-9040/a000155

Robert S. Brown’s article “Sport and Healing America” discusses how role that sports played in the aftermath of the terrorist attacks on September 11^th, 2001 and specifically the 2001 MLB playoffs and the Super Bowl. However following the MLB playoffs and Super Bowl it was seen that “sport must be recognized for the powerful influence it can have, especially in the light of the messages of healing and inspiration for millions of Americans provided after September 11^th” and it’s an important and valuable part of our country and society. In the days following the attack sporting events across the country were cancelled and there was an unknown as to when they would resume. They eventually did but it wasn’t without debate as to when and who should decide. This was not the first-time sport carried on in the midst of tragedy. President Roosevelt recommended that baseball carry on following Pearl Harbor and the US’ involvement in WWII, as did NFL commissioner Pete Rozelle following the assassination of JFK. Sports matter and following 9/11 “it was clear that they understood their potential role in the healing of society” and baseball starting that process when it resumed play ten days after the attacks. And the continuing healing of our nation culminated with the 2001 World Series which featured the New York Yankees and Arizona Diamondbacks. Prior to game three, President Bush threw out the ceremonial first pitch at Yankee Stadium where he showed no fear and signaled thumbs up to a roaring crowd that chanted U-S-A, U-S-A! Baseball was back and New York mayor Rudy Giuliani said Bush’s appearance “‘shows we’re undeterred and life is moving on the way it should.’”

When it came to the NFL, the Super Bowl was “altered the format to address social issues brought about by 9/11” and during pre-game ceremonies there were tributes made for those who helped America get through what had happened and back to a sense of normalcy. Every aspect of the game had symbols that represented patriotism and love for America. And at halftime U2 performed “Where the Streets Have No Name,” the author states “while the names of those lost on 9/11 scrolled behind them on a giant screen.”

Brown, Robert S. 2004.  “Sport and Healing America”. Springer Science & Business Media. 42 (1): 37-41.  Accessed March 19, 2017. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/BF02687298.

The research proposal that I looked at was under a completely different topic than the one I looking at for class.  This proposal titled “The Long Goodbye” discussed behavior displayed by patients who have dementia, Alzheimer’s and the services provided by caretakers. Even though it’s not related to my topic, the topic of an aging American population is interesting to me and it’s a relevant topic that needs to be discussed. I recently had cousin lose his father to dementia so reading this proposal I was able to understand a little bit as to what he and his family have gone through the last ten plus years and it really is terrible. This proposal is divided into five sections: Introduction, Objective, Method, Timeline, and Questions for Interview Subjects. All five of these have important information that clearly outlines the steps that will be taken to gather data for this research project.

This proposal is seven pages and the first two are the introduction. The introduction talks about aging US population and how it is only going to increase as time goes progresses and how “dementia illness are often the most feared and devastating disorders of later life” which can lead to problems for the care takers of these patients. While caretakers face many problems when helping a person with dementia, the most common and most prominent being physical aggressive behavior and verbal aggressive behaviors. The objective of this proposal is “to examine the occurrence of both physical and verbal acts of aggression towards care staff” and the settings of those who have dementia who need proper care. In the methods section, the author will identify aggressive patterns and how patients react to a caregiver by using “both direct observation and by caregiver/patient interviews” in at least three hospitals in the LA and Orange Counties. I also think they could also use an ethnography to witness first hand aggressive behavior displayed. However, it depends on how long the author will be at each hospital and he does not mention specifically how long he’ll be at each hospital. The timeline section is a very detailed layout of the author’s research and where he’ll be on what month and the deadlines he has set. Each month is very precise and detailed as to what will happen. The final sections are the questions in which the author will ask the people they are going to interact with during this research. This section is divided into three different sections: For Caregivers, Management, and Research Question for the author. They are all very detailed questions that ask for specific answers and quantitative data from hospital employees.

http://www.urop.uci.edu/SURP/sample_proposals/SURP%20Social%20Ecology%202.pdf

In OAH Magazine of History, Vol. 25, No. 3 the article, “Baseball, 9/11, and Dissent: the Carlos Delgado Controversy” by Angel G. Flores-Rodríguez discusses how in the aftermath of the 9/11, America’s pastime helped bring the country together yet despite that not all agreed with its response in the years following. Sport unites people from all walks of life and “brings fans together in a shared sense of passion and excitement” (55) that’s unlike anything else. In the aftermath of the 9/11 terror attacks, Americans were scared as to what the future held and how its government would respond. Yet despite all the fear and anxiety going around fragile country found hope in the form of its pastime: baseball. Patriotism soared to an all-time high and it visibly transformed ballparks and the game itself.

Just two years following the attacks US Armed Forces were in Iraq and Afghanistan and the patriotism that was so infectious in the months following 9/11, seemed like a distance memory. While “God Bless America” rang out in the seventh inning and fans showed support for the nation’s war effort, not everyone felt the same. In the 2004 season, then Toronto Blue Jays first baseman and Puerto Rican slugger Carlos Delgado went public with his decision to sit for the playing of the tune. He cited his disconcert with the US Navy’s decision which had stopped activity on two-thirds of the Puerto Rican island of Vieques as well the United States’ decision to test the same types of bombs that were dropped in Iraq in Vieques. Delgado received criticism from all over and was seen by some as anti-American. Fans online “argued that Delgado’s actions spelled disrespect for the victims of September 11” (56) and even some within the Blue Jays organization believed it was inappropriate to bringing politics into baseball.

In terms of data and data gathering method used in this article, interviews and surveying online sites were used as means of collecting data. The media is an essential part of sports and how they cover the players and teams themselves. They give fans an insight as to what’s going on inside the locker room and if there is anything interesting going on. And with Delgado’s decision to sit and it being plastered all over the news by the media, debate opened up which in general I think is a healthy aspect of every society.

In the article “Lunch Pails and Thugs: The Richard Sherman Saga, Sport Literature, and the Racial Discourse of American Sports”, found in Aethlon: The Journal of Sport Literature XXXI: 1& 2, Matthew S. Tettleton writes about the categories and stereotypes of black and white athletes based on outbursts in interviews and their play on the field. The topic of race it seems has always been brought up in pro sports in America, going back to 1947 when Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier by playing for the Brooklyn Dodgers. In the immediate aftermath of the 2014 NFC Championship Game, Seattle Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman interview with Erin Andrews created headlines after he yelled into the camera and called out San Francisco 49er receiver Michael Crabtree. Sherman who in the interview called himself ‘the best corner in the game’ is not the first athlete, black or white to show arrogance. Boxer Muhammad Ali famously said he was the greatest of all time as did golfer Phil Mickelson but what was shocking in this case was the  level of intensity that Sherman displayed. It was something that I don’t think America had ever seen before in a post game interview. In the days following and the lead up to the Super Bowl, “the ensuing public reaction on Twitter was sadly predictable” (47)with the majority of the criticism being directed towards Sherman. There were some online who called Sherman- who is black- a thug.

Sherman’s very public outburst brought the topic of race and sports back to mainstream media. Race itself is a social construct and something America deals with. And when it comes to sports, there are different narratives and stereotypes associated with each athlete based their skin color and background. At times, according to Tettleton there is no escaping these stereotypes. For example “we hear about black players being categorized according to the traits that mark their blackness” (60) while there are stories of “white athletes lauded for their work ethic, intelligence, teamwork” (60) and this is something that has been brought up over time. However by writing and understanding about where every athlete comes from, it allows us to get a better understanding of where they come from and in response we learn about ourselves as well.

In Journal of International Studies Vol 38 No 1 the 2009 article   “‘A Fresh Crop of Human Misery’: Representations of Bosnian ‘War Babies’ in the Global Print Media”, 1991-2006 written by R. Charlie Carpenter discusses the effect that media had on not only infants born during the war in Yugoslavia in the ’90s but also the population as a whole in general. And how that media coverage effected the world’s perception of what was going on during that time. One of the topics I’m interested in is Sarajevo and the steps the city has taken towards recovery since the end of the war. However I’m also interested in the media’s role and what effect they had on it. Carpenter mentions how media. He specifically Western media and how it “has been severely criticized for its role in human rights reporting during and after the war, particularly around the sensitive issue of sexual violence” ( 33) which I’m surprised to hear because as dishonest as the media can be at times I would have thought that in volatile situation like this where the entire country is at war and a city (Sarajevo) is under siege the media would have been much more direct and honest. The topic of sexual violence in the war is something I had never heard prior to this article. However if the media is covering the conflict and the conditions of those suffering why would they cover something as sensitive as sexual violence with dishonesty? I understand that it’s their job to cover the latest events but have some integrity as well.

The Serbs were not just a part of violence that involved ammunition they were also reported to be involved in raping of young mothers. According to Carpenter there were “121 instances where the perpetrators of rape are identified as ‘Serb'” (39) which is horrible and is an aspect of the war I had no idea.

In a time where sports and particularly college sports might seem like the most miniscule and unimportant thing in the world, the US still brings itself to watch one of the greatest spectacles in sport: March Madness. And in the midst of a chaotic presidential race, last year’s tournament helped people forget and bring them together with the help of one team and one spectacular title game. When the Villanova Wildcats entered the 2016 tournament they came with an impressive 82 wins over the last three seasons. They also came with the notoriety of being bounced from the dance in the early rounds five out of the last six seasons. They were the Cinderella, underdog, long shot.  This Villanova team was what makes American sports so great: A team that people rally behind, outstanding leadership, the feel good story. After a regular season that landed them a second seed in the South Region the stage was set once again to make their statement amongst the country’s elite. During the dance they not only exceeded the expectations of national pundits they absolutely destroyed them. They edged out overall seed Kansas Jayhawks in the Elite Eight and then a dominating Final Four win over Oklahoma to advance to the National Championship game where they faced off against North Carolina-one of college basketball’s elite and regular title contenders. With 4.7 seconds left, Carolina guard Marcus Paige threw up a miracle three to tie the game at 74. And with overtime looming, Nova stole America’s heart with a game winning buzzer beater by Kris Jenkins that captured the Wildcats’ first title since 1985.

Luke Winn/Sports Illustrated:PHILADELPHIA THREEDOM/ 11.04.16