AMES 105 Social Inequality and Change in American Sports

Some potential topic ideas to get you thinking about inequality in sports

  • Black power movement, 1960s in track&field/boxing/football/basketball 

  • The development of professional player unions 

  • History of amateurism vs. professionalism in US pro sport, labor rights, class issues and free agency 

  • NCAA reform movements 

  • Violence/hazing in high school sport and reform 

  • Gender discrimination in sport, Title IX and growth/challenges in female sports 

  • Female athletes and media representations 

  • Gender representations in “non-traditional” sports (i.e. men in synchronized swimming, women in football) 

  • Representations of Black athletes and the media 

  • Representations of Latino baseball players and the media 

  • Asian sporting representations 

  • Latino baseball players and labor exploitation 

  • Athlete labor exploitation and rights and the NCAA 

  • LGBTQ athletes and sexual discrimination 

  • Disabled athletes, visibility and equal access to sport 

  • Olympic reform movements and athlete power 

  • Socioeconomic class and access to sport 

  • Historical analysis of racism in a particular sport and social action 

  • Lack of minority coaches, ADs and administrators, affirmative action, and equal opportunity in professional and college sport 

  • Hegemonic masculinity, locker room violence, bullying and sport in elementary and secondary schools 

  • Labor practices of sporting apparel manufacturers 

  • Any important trail-blazing individuals for across a range of time periods and sports 

Browse Topics in Selected Sources

In the books below, browse chapters to find topics that interest you:

Selected Sources