Culture Meets Politics: Sports, Citizenship, and Expression.
Prior to starting university and in his first year, Manan Bhavnani wanted to become a sports journalist, mainly covering soccer. Over the last four years, and during the course of the minor, he found his true calling in politics and political reporting, particularly around issues like ethnicity and inequality. Drawing on his realignment, this presentation looks at the interaction of culture, politics, and sports. On one hand, sports have the power to drive interpersonal, regional, or even national unity. Conversely, a central pillar of sporting culture is enmity against the opposition or the ‘other.’ In its most extreme sense, this manifests in the form of racism, antisemitism, and violence. In an increasingly globalized world, a burning question is about who can play sports, and how that fits into national narratives. This presentation explores the above puzzles and reflects on the confluence of culture, politics, and sports.
Faculty mentor: Scott Curtis
