This week we read and discussed Franklin Foer's book How Soccer Explains the World - An Unlikely Theory of Globalization. During class many things were discussed about the book, but what stood out most to me was something someone said about halfway through the discussion: that "Teams conglomerate, while beliefs separate." The idea was that while beliefs create divides between groups of people, having a team to root for (whether soccer, or in the case of the U.S, football, baseball, etc) will unite the people in certain areas with a common cause that everyone there can support. Now, in the book, there were examples where this was not always true, such as the chapter about the Rangers and the Celtics: there, the divide in beliefs correlated with the two different teams, and the games only strengthened the rivalry, violence, and hatred that both sides felt for one another. There were, however, cases where that was not so - in the chapter about Iran, the passion for soccer and the team united people despite their beliefs and the regulations of their society. I think that looking at globalization through the eyes of such a popular sport gives a unique perspective on what unites and divides our civilizations. And I really liked the book.
I like how this class is going so far. It is challenging me to think more critically than I did in high school, and to examine different perspectives on world issues and the topics we read about. It is also encouraging me to participate more in class discussions (something I have yet to do...).
In any case, I believe that this class is good for me. And after reading How Soccer Explains the World, I am very much looking forward to the DC United game this weekend.
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