COURSE STRUCTURE
This topic focuses on the relationship between physical culture and the neoliberal city, focusing specifically on Baltimore. This examination unpacks the structure and influence of sport within entrepreneurial regimes of city governance, that key on the reinvention of the city, at least partially, around corporate sport spectacles, and the concomitant retrenchment in public provision for sport and physical activity. This involves identifying the differential experiences of sport and physical culture within the renaissance, suburban, and underclass spaces and populations that constitute the contemporary post-industrial city.
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1. LECTURE
For six slides per page format (for printing) click : HERE
For one slide per page format (for viewing on computer) click: HERE
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2. REQUIRED READINGS
It is expected that you will complete these readings following Wednesday lectures and in preparation for discussion section tasks/assignments.
In addition, within the Module 3 exam, you should expect to be asked questions on the following readings:
Reading I: Farrey, T. (2009). The greatest city in America: Baltimore, Maryland. In Game on: How the pressure to win at all costs endangers youth sports, and what parentscan do about it (pp. 227-251): ESPN Books.
Reading II: DeMause, N. (2011). Why Do Mayors Love Sports Stadiums? Public subsidies for sports facilities are a great deal for everyone involved—except the public. The Nation, 14-17.
Reading III: Felton, R. (2015, October 30). St. Louis confronts blight with proposal for $1bn investment in football stadium. The Guardian.
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3. VIDEO CLIPS
Some of these video clips will be viewed during lecture. However, you are expected to view those not shown in lecture in preparation for both the discussion section and exam related to this topic:
Video Clip 1: A promotional film from “Visit Baltimore” featuring the various attractions of the city’s post-industrial “tourist bubble”.
Video Clip 2: A virtual lap of the Baltimore Grand Prix circuit from 2011.
Video Clip 3: MDbizMedia (2011) discussion of the plans to extend the Baltimore Convention Center.
Video Clip 4: South Baltimore CrossFit as an example of the instrumental leisure of Baltimore’s creative class .
Video Clip 6: WBALTV/NBC Channel 11 (2011) news segment on public response to Baltimore City’s recreation center plan.
Video Clip 7: Trailer for the documentary “The Twelve O’Clock Boys” (2013), which focuses on Baltimores illegal dirt bike subculture.
Video Clip 9: Short news feature discussing Baltimore City's decision to reinvest in public recreation following the 2015 unrest.
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4. KEY CONCEPTS
The following key concepts represent the core knowledge related to this topic, and you should ensure that you develop a thorough knowledge and understanding of them in preparation for both the discussion section and exam related to this topic:
America as an Urban Nation
Baltimore as an Exemplar of Contemporary Urbanism
Depopulation, Deindustrialization, Tax Bases, and Budget Reductions
From Industrial to Post-Industrial Baltimore
Managerial Welfare as Compared to Entrpreneurial City Governance
The Relationship Between Neoliberalism and the Entrepreneurial City
The Trickle Down Philosophy of Entrepreneurial City Governance
Consumption (as opposed to production) as the Motor of Urban Economic Growth
The Core Spaces of the Re-Invented Post-Industrial City
The Post-Industrial Tourist Bubble
Baltimore’s Post-Industrial Reinvention as Consumption Space
Sport and the Tourist Bubble
The Role of the Maryland Stadium Authority
The Public Subsidization of Baltimore Teams/Stadia
Urban Redevelopment as an Inter-Urban Competition
The Political Necessity and Benefits of Retaining Major League Sport
The Baltimore Grand Prix as Sporting Spectacle
The Financial Impact of Sport Events/Teams/Stadia on City Economies
The Positive and Negative Arguments for Sport Focused Urban Regeneration
The Helicopter Effect
Privileged Spaces and Populations
Three Neoliberal Baltimores
Public and Market Provision of Physical Activity in the Neoliberal City
Physical Culture and the Renaissance City
Urban Regeneration and the Creative Class
The Participatory/Experiential Culture of the Creative Class
The Creative Class and Physical Culture
Redesigning Downtown Spaces of Commercial Play
Physical Culture and the Suburban City
Privilege Amplification
Privatized Sport/Physical Culture Delivery
The “Safe” Suburban Park
Under-Privileged Spaces and Populations
The Fantasy Neoliberal City
The Reduced City Budget Equation
Social Disparities within the Neoliberal City
Disinvestment and Decline in Public Services and Spaces
Baltimore’s Lingering Social Problems
Deprivation Amplification
Disinvestment and Decline in Physical Activity Services and Spaces
The “Risky” Park
The Neoliberalization of the Baltimore Recreation Center
Baltimore’s Dirt Bike Subculture as Recreation and Protest
Three Baltimore Physical Cultures
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5. DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
Following the lecture, and having read the assigned readings and watch relevant video clips, you are encouraged to answer a series of discussion questions related to this topic which can be accessed HERE.
These questions require that you engage and extend the information covered within each theme, in order to generate a better understanding of core concepts, knowledge, and issues.
These questions are intended as preparation for both the discussion section and exam related to this topic.
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6. ESSAY QUESTION #10 (this is an option for the Module 3 essay)
Critically examine the diverse, position, influence, and experience of sport and physical culture within contemporary Baltimore.
This essay should be a minimum of 1,500 words to answer it comprehensively.
You may find the following academic sources useful in completing this assignment. You do not have to use these sources, they are simply provided for you as an introduction to the literature, and you should use them where appropriate and/or relevant. Also, be warned, these readings do not count towards the THREE additional academic sources you are expected to use within your essays (however, they may direct you toward additional academic sources you could use):
Andrews, David L., Silk, Michael, & Pitter, Robert. (2008). Physical culture and the polarised American metropolis. In B. Houlihan (Ed.), Sport and society: A student introduction (2nd ed., pp. 284-304). London: Sage.
Eckstein, R., & Delaney, K. (2002). New sports stadiums, community self-esteem, and community collective conscience. Journal of Sport & Social Issues, 26( 3), 235-247.
EIR. (2006). The Case of Baltimore: Deindustrialization Creates ‘Death Zones’. Executive Intelligence Review, 4-20.
Friedman, M. T., Bustad, J. J., & Andrews, D. L. (2013). Feeding the downtown monster: (Re)developing Baltimore’s ‘‘tourist bubble”. City, Culture and Society.
Harvey, D. (2001). A view from Federal Hill. In Spaces of capital: Towards a critical geography (pp. 128-157). New York: Routledge.
Miles, S. (2012). The neoliberal city and the pro-active complicity of the citizen consumer. Journal of Consumer Culture, 12(2), 216-230.
Schimmel, K. S. (2001). Sport matters: Urban regime theory and urban regeneration in the late-capitalist era. In C. Gratton & I. P. Henry (Eds.), Sport in the city: The role of sport in economic and social regeneration (pp. 259-277). London: Routledge.
Smith, A. (2001). Sporting a new image? Sport-based regeneration strategies as a means of enhancing the image of the city tourist destination. In C. Gratton & I. P. Henry (Eds.), Sport in the city: The role of sport in economic and social regeneration (pp. 127-148). London: Routledge.
If you choose to complete this essay, and in addition to the sources provided on this page, you need to identify and use (either through paraphrasing or direct quotation) interpretations, insights, or information from a MINIMUM OF THREE appropriate academic sources (in addition to those provided for you on this website).
The deadline for submitting (via the ELMS/Canvas website) your Module 2 Essay is 11.59pm ET on Monday December 14.
Important: The ELMS/Canvas website will not accept essays after the due time and date.
Be sure to review the details on the module essay page. On that page you will find the EVALUATION CRITERIA for module essays (which you are strongly encouraged to read), you will also find links to the appropriate academic sources you should use when researching and writing your module essays, and the style and format guidelines you need to follow when completing module essays. All this information needs to be read, understood, and closely followed for you to succeed in this course.
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