Books
- Armstrong, Gary and Richard Giulianotti. eds. _Entering the Field: New Perspectives on World Football_. (New York: Oxford International Publishers Ltd., 1997).
- An interesting portrayal of the world game as it impacts a number of nations. Writing from a sociological or anthropological standpoint, the various authors do much to cover ground, but therein lies the problem. Little integration and synthesization can be found, perhaps owing to the disparate nature of the undertaking. Still, a useful read for the anthropology of football.
- Katz, Donald. _Just Do It: The Nike Spirit in the Corporate World_. (New York: Random House, Inc., 1994).
- So far as I've been able to find, this book represents the clearest portrayal of the company and the people who run it. Written with the permission and cooperation of Phil Knight and other top level executives, Katz's narrative of Nike is, at once, gripping and informative.
- Lasch, Christopher. _The Culture of Narcissism_. (New York: W.W. Norton and Company, Inc., 1978.).
- Though dated, Lasch's critique of American culture renders compelling insights into the public psyche. While I disagree with his treatment of sport, Lasch's work rests casts a keen eye upon the American populace and extends a forward-thinking method of thought.
- Strasser, J.B. and Laurie Becklund. _Swoosh: The Unauthorized Story of Nike and the Men Who Played There_. (New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1994).
- While reading more like a novel than Katz's book (an attribute that may be more enjoyable for some and less so for other readers), one must keep always in mind the politics at play in this treatment of Nike. J.B.'s husband, Rob, was a Nike executive and insider--in fact, one of the men who helped to build the company. For reasons outlined in the book, Strasser left Nike and was ostracized for going on to work at other shoe companies. There had been a history of bad blood between Phil Knight and Rob Strasser prior to Strasser's death. Thus, _Swoosh_ should be read with an eye critical of other agenda.
Articles
- Andrews, David L. (1996). "The Fact(s) of Michael Jordan's Blackness: Excavating a Floating Racial Signifier." Sociology of Sport Journal, 16(2).
- Andrews' article should be used in conjunction with the others I've listed below that deal with black bodies in sport and the ways in which they are appropriated by shoe companies, popular culture, and the average American.
- Cole, Cheryl L. (1996). "American Jordan: P.L.A.Y., Consensus and Punishment." Sociology of Sport Journal, 13.
- Cole is one of the major players in the contemporary discussion of popular athletic culture, Nike, and a host of other related subjects including gender and racial issues in sport. Her work serves as an excellent grounding in the subject matter treated in this project as well as a stand alone subject of interest for those interested in sport in any form.
- Cole, Cheryl L. and Amy Hribar. (1995). "Celebrity Feminism: Nike Style (Post-Fordism, Transcendence, and Consumer Power)." Sociology of Sport Journal, 12(4).
- A useful analysis of women's role in the Nike advertising campaigns and the context in which Nike attempts to appeal to women for their support and their money.
- Howell, Jeremy. (1991). "'A Revolution in Motion':Advertising and the Politics of Nostalgia." Sociology of Sport Journal, 8(3).
- Howell's article primary use in this project stems from its linking of Nike's advertising to the cultural mileiu surrounding the Baby Boom generation and its focus on the fit body. Howell's bonding of politics and body culture is particularly interesting.
- Inham, Alan G. (1985). "From Public Issue to Personal Trouble: Well-Being and the Fiscal Crisis of the State." Sociology of Sport Journal, 2(1).
- Still one of the seminal pieces of thought, even after 13 years, Ingham's article clearly and definitively delineates the boundaries of the "Body Ideology." It serves to inform academics and laypeople alike of the importance of the fit body in American society and the role that body plays in individual and cultural interaction.
- Park, Roberta J. (1994). "A Decade of the Body: Researching and Writing About the History of Health, Fitness, Exercise and Sport, 1983-1993." Journal of Sport History, 21(1).
- The principle function of this article for the project was its exhaustive list of resources for studying the realm of Sport and Fitness. A good first stop when looking for sources to mount an analysis in the field.
- Wilson, Brian and Robert Sparks. (1996). "'It's Gotta Be the Shoes': Youth, Race, and Sneaker Commericals." Sociology of Sport Journal, 13(4).
- Though it doesn't deal with American culture per se, this article still offers insight into Nike's advertising strategies and discusses issues of racial appropriation. cp. Andrews and Cole's "American Jordan" from above.
Rants
NIKE
Advertising Age Online--Search for Nike
Sociology of Sport Journal--Search for Nike or any authors listed above
