Graduate Student, American Studies
Arts and Letters
Thesis Title: Fantasy Sports Communities on the Internet
Maureen Flanagan
Douglas Noverr
About
Currently working on a Ph.D in American Studies studying urban American history, transnational history, American sports history and cultural theory.
Specifically, I am studying ballpark construction as a foundation for urban renewal efforts, and their symbolic value--as negotiated between city boosters and local residents--in public discourse. There is ample scholarship that demonstrates that the economic benefits to city revenues, local businesses, and residents have been greatly exaggerated by city leaders and team owners. And yet, the taxpayers continue to subsidize the construction of these ballparks. I hope to demonstrate that the real battle over these ballparks takes place within the context of public discourse and in the struggle for symbolic power between competing interpretations over the meaning of powerful cultural symbols like Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, New (Comiskey) Cellular Field in Chicago, and Comerica Park in Detroit.
Contact Information
http://americanstudies.msu.edu/students/student-bio.php?page=draper
