In this paper, I argue that ice-hockey played at both the national and international level, has a momentous effect on the construction of Canadian identity through the workings of the government, sporting corporations, media, the local audience, and the influences of other countries. This significant association is substantiated and modified by renowned, historic events such as the final game in the 1972 Summit Series between Canada and the USSR.
In this article, Alan Bairner scrutinizes the relationship between sports and national identity. He begins by elucidating the definition of national identity as one’s sense of belonging to one nation. National identity is determined by the extent to which one engages in comprehending the riveting
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stories of shared experiences that connect a nation’s present to its past. Therefore, this sense of belonging is variable and multidimensional, as people expand and individualize their national identities through connecting themselves to narratives emanating from numerous areas, all of which include religion, economics, politics, education, family and science. However, Bairner asserts that sport stories in particular, not only excel in supplying circumstances for public conversation and expression that generates at least momentary unity among citizens, but also provides citizens with the hope of a favourable representation of their nation (alongside the feeling of pride) through the performances of native athletes in international competition; both being key aspects of increasing national identity. Bairner’s analysis supports my thesis in that his conclusion of sports impacting national identity is parallel to my proposal that hockey influences Canadian identity. In this article, Stacy Lorenz analyzes the significance of hockey in constructing Canadian national identity.
More specifically, Lorenz highlights the effect that several influencers (including the Canadian government, sports corporations, local sport organizations, and the media) have on shaping the comprehensions of the meaning of hockey and Canadian identity. The Canadian government utilized the unifying effect in the sport of hockey to resolve regional and cultural differences within the nation, as well as elevate international prestige through participation in athletic competition. The media and local sport organizations operate with more of a materialistic intent, as their interest in advocating hockey as a Canadian symbol was provoked by the possibility of making a profit and collecting resources from national organizations. However, the motives of sport corporations in endorsing hockey as Canadian identity influencer is a contrast of both income-greed and universal reputation. Nonetheless, all of these governing factors strive to positively construct a Canadian national identity from hockey, despite coveting dissimilar benefits in doing so. Lorenz’s examination links to my thesis in that hockey has a substantial effect on establishing Canadian identity, especially through the workings of intrinsic factors such as the government, corporations and …show more content…
media. In this article, Scott Watson claims through inspection that worldwide competition with other countries in hockey also modifies Canadian identity. Watson argues that international sporting competitions are tremendously influential in the legitimation and creation of national identity, because it permits individual nations to acquire attention and recognition of their divergence from others. Furthermore, sporting events include a palpable metric to differentiate between two nations, by generating winners and losers. In regards to Canadian participation in global hockey competitions, the US and European countries have been the most impactful in revealing the elements of Canadian national identity, and exhibiting the tensions between government, corporate, and cultural employment of hockey as a Canadian symbol. For instance, the US has materialized to become Canada’s biggest rival in hockey, due to their increased competitiveness and skill, as well as their ‘americanization’ of a ‘Canadian sport’. Therefore, hockey competitions unify Canadian citizens to root against American teams and in favour of Canadian teams. However, Canadian government intervention in the form of subsidies to prevent additional American influence to hockey unifies citizens and corporations in another way: to rebel against government contamination of the country’s beloved sport. Watson’s article connects to my thesis for the reason that international factors such as competition with other countries, can be just as efficacious in building a nation’s identity, as national factors such as the government. In this article, Neil Earle further investigates the correlation between hockey and Canadian identity by reviewing the historic 1972 Summit Series between Canada and USSR/Russia.
Prior to the Summit Series, the USSR was dominating in both a political perspective (their communist views during the Cold War rivalled Canada’s liberal views), as well as in sports, specifically hockey. These factors united Canadian government, corporations and fans, as they desired to prove their supremacy on ice. Therefore, the Summit Series was formulated, with the Canadian expectation of a clean sweep in their favour. However, after a devastating loss of the first game, Canadian attitudes menacingly transformed; their obsession with proving their supremacy entailed extreme aggression and pitiful sportsmanship. This led to the regard that Canadians’ violent style of play was inferior to the USSR’s highly skillful, less belligerent gameplay, even by Canadian spectators. As a result, Canadian identity in hockey underwent a pivotal change by associating to a unique playing style as opposed to superiority (Canadian hockey players were instead described as being formidably determined). By placing less emphasis on pure superiority and more on specific playing styles, Canada was able to triumph over USSR in the final game of the Summit Series; a victory that solidified itself into the remarkable collection of Canadian stories that will forever remain in memories for constructing future national
identities, and unified Canadians by giving them a sense of pride and importance. Earle’s case study connects to my thesis in that significant hockey events in Canadian history shape reinforces and alters current Canadian identity.
... milestone game in 1980, hockey in the United States has grown significantly at the professional and amateur levels. (USA Hockey, N.d.)
As stated in my thesis statement, the sport of hockey has been forced to compete with the growing mass popularity with other sports such as basketball and football. There once was a point in time where hockey had just as much popularity as those sports but because people are finding more interest in those sports, the National Hockey League found itself in a “drought” of unimportance with other sports. With not televising the sport as “commonly” as other sports.
Saul Indian Horse is an Ojibway child who grew up in a land which offered little contact with anyone belonging to a different kind of society until he was forced to attend a residential school in which children were being stripped away of their culture with the scope of assimilating them into a more “civilized” community. Saul’s childhood in the school, greatly pervaded by psychological abuse and emotional oppression, was positively upset once one of the priests, Father Leboutillier, introduced him to the world of hockey, which soon become his sole means of inclusion and identification, mental well-being and acknowledged self-worth in his life. It is though universally acknowledged how, for every medal, there are always two inevitably opposite
Canada as a nation has been striving to characterize itself as more ?Canadian? for decades. This has included numerous struggles and events such as protests, bans, and the creation of the Massey Commission, to encourage national development in the arts, and support major companies like the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) and National Film Board (NFB). However, this has not been an easy task for the Canadian government, as major influences from below the border (the United States) have been captivating the Canadian audiences by large. American media has had a momentous revolutionizing effect on Canada, even through efforts made to define Canada with its own cultural identity.
If you ask any Canadian what they were doing on september 28 1972, there it a good chance they will say watching the Canadians and soviets battling it out for the title of the summit series. It was one of the largest rivalry games in Canadian history. Kids in school watched the games during class, People across the nation sat on the edge of their seats for the month of september and were thrilled when Canada pulled off the victory. All of the hype leading up to the event made people wonder if the summit series was the biggest event in Canadian sports history or even Canadian history in general.There is no doubt that the summit series was a huge milestone for Canada and brought the nation together for an exciting ride, even to this day we still see the effects of this great event, it sculpted the game of hockey that we know and love today.
The most memorable moment in hockey history came thirty-four years ago with the 1980 Miracle on Ice. The Americans defeating the dominant Soviet team at the Olympics was not only an important triumph for USA Hockey, but for the entire nation. Contrary to popular belief, the underdog win was not only the result of a miracle; it was also the result of a hard-working team led by Coach Herb Brooks. With increasingly negative views on the position of the United States in the Cold War, the Miracle on Ice and the gold medal win lifted the spirits of the nation and brought hockey into the American spotlight.
But, the most meaningful way I have connected myself to Russian culture is through ice hockey. I have played hockey throughout my entire life and many of my favorite players are Russian. I realized this connection when my teammates and I were watching the movie Miracle at a hockey tournament in Lake Placid, not in 1980 though. In the movie, it showed the Soviets having the best ice hockey program in the world at the time, while the young U.S. ice hockey program was developing. Throughout the entire movie, I was cheering for the Soviet Union because it was my homeland. But what I didn’t know at the time was that I was the only one in the room who had not seen the movie. During the first game that the U.S. played, the Soviets crucified the U.S. 10-3. … And then came the Olympics
When I think of what it means to be Canadian, one of the first things that come to mind is hockey. This is true for many Canadian’s as hockey was and is an integral piece of the formation of the national identity. However, when people think of playing hockey their attention usually turns to the men in the National Hockey League or other top men’s leagues and tournaments. Even so, Canada has come a long way from its beginnings, when women were not even considered persons under the law until 1929. While it has taken many decades for women to receive more recognition in the world of sport, today shows great improvements from the past. A key reason that women are not treated the same way as men in regards to hockey is due to how the game began;
Thompson, John Herd, and Mark Paul Richard. "Canadian History in North American Context." In Canadian studies in the new millennium. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 2008. 37-64.
Terrence and Jordin Tootoo grew up in Rankin Inlet, Nunavut, in Canada’s arctic region. They were like other Inuit children in Rankin Inlet in many respects: They were brought up to respect the customs of their people and they enjoyed the resources the land around them provided- they learned to hunt and fish for food like the others. However, the brothers were also different from their peers in one main respect- they were blessed with a love for the game of hockey, and also with extraordinary amounts of talent which would enable them to leave their native community to pursue the dream of professional hockey. While the brothers were growing up they were inseparable; however, after leaving Rankin Inlet to pursue the professional game their respective careers took strikingly different paths. Jordin’s journey took him to the top- he was drafted into the National Hockey League and signed a lucrative contract with the Nashville Predators. However, Terrence’s road to the professional ranks was filled with hardship and tragedy, ultimately resulting in his suicide in August of 2002. The contrasting paths taken by the brothers is an illustration of how professional sporting careers can have varying impacts on the lives of Native American and Canadian athletes and their communities. In the following few paragraphs I will outline the history of Native Americans and Canadians in sports. I will examine how successful Native athletes are able to help their communities, both financially and by serving as role models for younger Natives. Also, I will argue that their still exist barriers and challenges to Native athletes that do not confront other athletes. For example, Native athletes are often placed under increased scrutiny because of their positions as role models. I will conclude by commenting on how Native athletes fit into pro sports today, and speculate on what can be done to increase the amount of success enjoyed by Natives.
The culture of Canada refers to the shared values, attitudes, standards, and beliefs that are a representative of Canada and Canadians. Throughout Canada's history, its culture has been influenced by American culture because of a shared language, proximity, television and migration between the two countries. Over time, Canadian-American relations have helped develop Canada’s identity during the years 1945-1982; thus introducing changing social norms, media and entertainment. In support of this, due to the United States being approximately 9.25 times larger in population and having the dominant cultural and economic influence, it played a vital role in establishing Canada’s identity. With Canada being its neighbour, naturally, the United States would influence their way of life upon Canada.
Gretzky is a key figure in Canadian culture. He changed the way the entire world looks at hockey and was Canada’s hero even when he played for a United States based hockey team. He helped propel the sport to international heights it had never seen before, and has been part of so many iconic plays throughout the history of the sport, that other than the Miracle on Ice, he is a part of almost every historical event in the history of hockey. Gretzky transcends hockey, he transcends Canada, and even today is involved with hockey as he is an overseer of the Canadian National Team that just recently won a Gold Medal at the latest Olympics in Vancouver.
“ Canada 's national obsession seems to be its own identity.” For many years Canada has feared the increasing influence of its North American neighbors on its culture - the United States . It has become a matter of growing concern for the people of power and influence in Canada to maintain their separate cultural identity and to promote their own cultural norms. Gaetan Tremblay presents his views on this topic and does this from the perspective of a person living and working in Quebec.
Sport and identity together have a unique relationship in which any regional or national place can use sport as a means to create a sense of identity. The relationship is complex and varied. Identity can be explained as understanding what or who a person or a thing is. Sport is capable of creating a feeling of nationhood and this is an important factor. It is important too for a nation to create a sense of identity but it is especially important for a regional area. For a small country to host a major sporting event is a significant achievement especially with having rivalry with bigger neighbouring countries. Nationalism can be expressed in a less aggressive manner through sport because there is a clear winner and loser; it is a clear cut way of asserting superiority of your notion over others. In this essay, one regional and one national example will be looked upon to see how they use sport to assert their sense of identity. Cricket in Yorkshire County Cricket Club will be used as a source of a regional example and rugby in South Africa will be used as a national example. We will look at the factors they used to inflict sport as a means to promote their identity and also if these identities are sustainable.
Throughout the course of history, the connection between nationalism and sport has been widely apparent. The level of priority and attention placed on international sporting events, such as the Olympics, truly shows how the relationship between nationalism and sport is both highly regarded by each nation around the world, as well as highly regarded by the people belonging to each nation. As a result of this overall importance placed on nationalism within the realm of sport, nationalist ideals are often utilized in support or promotion of certain sports teams. The Toronto Blue Jays’ highly successful 2015 season is a prime example of the spectacle in modern sport, as the team was repeatedly associated with nationalist ideals for the commercial