Introduction I am proposing the course, “World Cultures through Sports Literature”, because I want to offer an interesting course that examines how cultures and sports interact on an international level. It would focus on sports that are mostly foreign to the general American population. This is because American students have a good understanding of how sports play into our culture even if they are not interested in them. This class would be an intermediate 200 level World Literature or International Studies course depending on what the student needs. This is because the course will examine various cultures through many lenses and mediums of World Literature. World Literature allows the insight needed for foreign cultures to interact
We will use the book, Playing the Enemy: Nelson Mandela and the Game That Made a Nation by John Carlin. This book discusses the events surrounding the 1995 Rugby World Cup. It was held a year after Mandela was elected president in South Africa’s first free election. South Africa practiced apartheid and the minority, white population had control over the native, black population through intense racism. The book describes how Mandela used rugby to bring together the blacks and whites in South Africa after apartheid had ended. Bill Keller’s review states, “This wonderful book describes Mandela’s methodical, improbable and brilliant campaign to reconcile resentful blacks and fearful whites around a sporting event, a game of rugby” (Keller). Keller also says that John Carlin does not lead you to believe that it was all fixed with the winning of the World Cup. Carlin goes in depth on how Nelson Mandela slowly brought the people together with the culmination of the World Cup victory (Keller). It will provide a good basis of discussion for how a sport can bring a nation and cultures together. The class will read the poem A Poem for Nelson Mandela by Elizabeth Alexander. We will really look at this
There can be no question that sport and athletes seem to be considered less than worthy subjects for writers of serious fiction, an odd fact considering how deeply ingrained in North American culture sport is, and how obviously and passionately North Americans care about it as participants and spectators. In this society of diverse peoples of greatly varying interests, tastes, and beliefs, no experience is as universal as playing or watching sports, and so it is simply perplexing how little adult fiction is written on the subject, not to mention how lightly regarded that little which is written seems to be. It should all be quite to the contrary; that our fascination and familiarity with sport makes it a most advantageous subject for the skilled writer of fiction is amply demonstrated by Mark Harris.
The “John Carlos Story” is a book about the struggles of growing up black in America at a time when much of the nation was still segregated. John Carlos was a member of the “Olympic Project for Human Rights.” After winning the bronze medal, John Carlos and a friend and teammate, Tommy Smith, who won the gold medal, raised their fists in opposition of racial inequality and in unity of civil rights. This book shows examples of sociology in everyday life which can be explained through theories and concepts, which centers mainly on the event surrounding their win at the Olympic Games.
Nelson Mandela was born on July 18th, 1918 in Mvezo, Eastern Cape, South Africa. He is best known for his fight against apartheid and becoming the first black President of South Africa. Mandela was born into the Thembu people and was motivated to study law after experiencing the tribal democratic leadership. He joined the African National Congress in 1942 and participated in the organization of a many protests against apartheid. In 1952 “Mandela and Oliver Tambo started the first black law office in South Africa with the intent of fighting black injustice (Saunders, World Book 133)”. Mandela was arrested in 1962 and given a life sentence for charges for conspiring against the government. He was released in 1990 after serving 27 years. In 1993 he received the Nobel Peace Prize along with F. W. de Klerk for their contribution towards ending of apartheid and establishing multiracial elections. He was elected the first black President of South Africa in 1994. While in power he focused on fighting racism, inequality, and poverty in South Africa. Mandela retired his presidency in 1999 and made his last public appearance at the 2010 FIFA World Cup Final. Nelson Mandela died December 5th, 2013 in Johannesburg. Throughout his early life, his imprisonment, and his presidency, Nelson Mandela always stood for change.
To understand Mandela’s role in civil disobedience, one must first have the knowledge of his personal life. Mandela was born in the town of Transkei, South Africa into a royal family on July 18,1918 (Klerk). Even though Mandela was born into a royal family, he still noticed the ugly treatment of people in South Africa based on their racial background. Mr. Mandela was educated at the University of Fort Hare and the University of Witwatersrand. Both of these universities are located in South Africa, though Fort Ware is in Eastern Cape while Witwatersrand is located in the capital (Klerk, F). While a student in college Mandela was sent home for protesting against the strict policies of the university with several other classmates. Like many col...
"Mandela, Nelson." International Encyclopedia of the Social Sciences, edited by William A. Darity, Jr., 2nd ed., vol. 4, Macmillan Reference USA, 2008, pp. 580-581. Gale Virtual Reference Library, go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?p=GVRL&sw=w&u=txshracd2497&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CCX3045301436&it=r&asid=c15e0b435d9bbc850fd6d874242cc571.
Nelson Mandela once said that sports have the power “to change the world… to inspire… to unite people” (Carlin et al., 2008). He said this in 1995 before the rugby World Cup, which help to unite an apartheid stricken country.
Dealing with the issue of sport and ethnology, three major factors come to mind; prejudice, racism, and discrimination. These factors span across gender, ethnic, racial, religious, and cultural groups. In the following paragraphs, I will discuss how these factors have played a part in the evolution of sport in our society. The first issue tackled in this paper will be racism in sports, followed by prejudice and discrimination.
Transition to 1st main point: First, let’s talk about the childhood and education of Mandela
Human history has been marked with long and painful struggles that fought for human rights and freedoms. Discrimination and racial oppression has always been one of the most controversial struggles for mankind. For South Africa, it was a country where black people were oppressed by the white minority. The colonization of South Africa began in the 18th century by the Dutch empire after Dutch trading companies started using its cape as a center for trading between Asia and Europe (sahistory.org.za). Soon after, the British took over the country and declared it part of the British Empire (sahistory.org.za). Decades after, Afrikaners, who descended from the original Dutch settlers that occupied South Africa, started working on creating a state that separates between black people and whites. Their plans were to create a separation between black people and whites that involved excluding blacks from all types of social, economic, and political activities within the country. All South African natives knew the bad conditions that their people were forced to live in but only a few of them took the responsibility of sacrificing their lives and freedom for the rights of their people. One South African citizen, Nelson Mandela, can be considered the main hero for the South African freedom revolution and the hero for millions of people fighting for their freedoms worldwide. Mandela’s long walk for freedom defined South African history and entered world history as one of the most influential fights for freedom and human rights in the world.
...of sport. On the world stage, South Africa was recognised as a country in change and in change for the better. Yorkshire, a middle class working area was helped by the industrial revolution to help increase its population to raise the levels of interest in cricket. A local community can be united significantly by the power of the locals’ passion and pride in the club. They attain a sense of belonging in the area. Regional press raised the awareness of the club and identity of the area through its coverage of the local cricket team to which the locals felt they belonged to. Sport and identity together have a healthy relationship together in which one can benefit the other greatly. If positive identities are attained by the nation or region, they do become sustainable as everyone will follow in the positive image created around the nation or region in question.
Nelson Mandela once said, “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” The importance of an education is repeatedly shown through past and present events. Those who can’t afford an education do whatever it takes to try and learn. They know that it will lead to a better future for them. An education will not only lead to a job with more money, but it will also expand people’s minds. They will be able to create new ideas and inventions. The best way for us to change the world is through educating our youth. With a better education, they can become inspired to invent new things. Some could grow up to find cures to diseases. Educating the youth is the key to changing the world. The children of today are the leaders of tomorrow. The best way for us to give a good education to our youth is by refining our school system. We need to redefine the term ‘education.’ Teachers in classrooms change the world because they are teaching the future generation that will one day lead. If we want to change the world for the better, educating the youth is th...
When most people think of South Africa, the first name that comes to mind is Nelson Mandela. Born in 1918, during a time when white men held most of the power, there was a system of segregation against ‘colored people’ called apartheid. Throughout his life, Mandela worked to fight against this segregation and endured extreme human rights violations. Nelson Mandela is a hero because his efforts were a contributing factor in bringing an end to apartheid and he influenced major changes within the county of South Africa.
“To deny people their right to human rights is to challenge their very humanity. To impose on them a wretched life of hunger and deprivation is to dehumanize them. But such has been the terrible fate of all black persons in our country under the system of apartheid (“In Nelson Mandela’s own words”). Nelson Mandela was a moral compass symbolizing the struggle against racial oppression. Nelson Mandela emerged from prison after twenty-seven years to lead his country to justice. For twenty-seven years he sat in a cell because he believed in a country without apartheid, a country with freedom and human rights. He fought for a country where all people were equal, treated with respect and given equal opportunity. Nelson Mandela looms large in the actions of activists and politicians. He inspired music and movies, and swayed the mind of powerful leaders. Making him an influential person who affected American culture.
During Mandela’s early life, he had seen with his own eyes the conflict of a system which had injustice. Europeans were people of wealth and power and sustained the total control of the country, while the immense population of Africans were their servants. As a child, he had the commitment that one day he would change this injustice and to become a respected leader. His necessity to learn politics and get educated, led him to be the first member to attend school and a university[from the website of “Nelson Mandela’s foundation”]. From this, he would discover a social group that will began his legacy as a heroic character. As a nineteen year old, Mandela learned of the existence of the African National Congress (ANC), which main purpose was to defend black African rights as human beings and fighting against discriminatory laws and actions of the government through non violent action.[from the website “Mandela’s greatest liberator?”]. This was tremendously a shift towards his life, and he now had considered his main purpose in life. In his conscience, he knew he would be part of this group and that he would be fighting for not only his rights, but of the community. His relevance on politics, led him to be part of the “youth league” which was consider a preparation of the ANC [from the website “ Mandela’s the greatest
In 1993, he became the president of South Africa after a long journey of seeking freedom and equality among his people. Under his power, his country attained democratic government without discrimination between the white and black people. He had never talked about racism during his presidential time and had never responded harshly against any racism action. He had very successful time in leading South Africa until he retired because of his health bad condition. Finally, he died in 2013, but he remained in our heart as strong leader, peaceful person, and free man.