Team Sports

A team is distinct from other social bonds as the unifying element is the shared pursuit of a common goal, whether it be winning a World Cup, achieving a scientific breakthrough, or winning an election. Often, however, the relationship between teammates, their leaders, and their supporters extends far beyond the mere pursuit of a goal. A team quickly becomes a microcosm of broader societal phenomena, as issues such as power, gender, race, sexuality, and class come into play. Individual vs. collective, collaboration vs. competition, offense vs. defense, success vs. failure, inclusion vs. exclusion––when we become part of a team, we learn to negotiate a number of contrasting conditions. Teams rely on complex algorithms and alchemies and when properly designed, expertly trained, and wholeheartedly inspired, they are greater than the sum of their parts. This Salon explores the ways in which they can simultaneously function as mirrors of society and means to change it for the better.

We will pose the following questions: How does participation in required team sports affect a child’s development in both positive and negative ways? How do team sports reinforce societal and gendered norms? In what ways can they instead be used to challenge those norms? What does it mean to be a good team player, within and without sports? How do our experiences as a part of teams impact our subsequent social relations? Should we adopt a more team-centric outlook in our daily lives, prioritizing collective over individual goals? How does the participation in or the watching of sports contribute to the formation of our individual identities?

This Salon took place on October 16, 2023