Designated Heroes: Cinematic Reflections of Baseball’s Cultural Ideology
Document Type
Contribution to Books
Publication Date
1-1-2003
Abstract
A primary function of sport in modern states is to express and to cultivate dominant cultural values; to bind participants and fans together in a shared cultural vision. In America, no sport more closely associated with the national "Being" than baseball. The linkage between baseball and America has been part of the national ideology throughout the 20th century. For much of our culture, "the national pastime" serves as a metaphor for the American Dream, reflecting the best that America has to offer and embodying the basic values that underlie the nation itself. Historically, the game of baseball has been perceived not simply as a form of entertainment, but as a contributor to both individual and national development.1
Publication Information
Most, Marshall G. and Rudd, Robert. (2003). "Designated Heroes: Cinematic Reflections of Baseball’s Cultural Ideology". Reel Baseball, 75-87.