The Metro: How sports challenge the boundaries of American society
From Jackie Robinson to Billie Jean King, what happens when our society’s most uncomfortable realities show up in the arena? Assistant Professor of Sociology Bryan Ellis gives his perspective.
FILE - In this Aug. 2, 1942, file photo, Kansas City Monarchs pitcher Leroy Satchel Paige warms up at New York's Yankee Stadium before a Negro League game between the Monarchs and the New York Cuban Stars.
This year marks 150 years of Major League Baseball. In that time, baseball like every sport, has become intertwined with culture in the United States. The rules of the sport have not changed much over the years, but we have.
In this segment, we discussed the cultural boundaries of not just baseball but all sports. From Jackie Robinson to Billie Jean King, we explored what happens when our society’s most uncomfortable realities up in the arena.
Bryan Ellis is an assistant professor of sociology at Michigan State University’s Center for Integrative Studies. He teaches about the social science of sports. He joined the program to help us unpack this.
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