Synopses & Reviews
What are boys like? Who is the creature inhabiting the twilight zone between the perils of the Oedipus complex and the Strum und Drang of puberty? In With the Boys, Gary Alan Fine examines the American male preadolescent by studying the world of Little League baseball. Drawings on three years of firsthand observation of five Little Leagues, Fine describes how, through organized sport and its accompanying activities, boys learn to play, work, and generally be "men."
Synopsis
What are boys like? Who is the creature inhabiting the twilight zone betwee
About the Author
Gary Alan Fine is the John Evans Professor of Sociology at Northwestern University and the author of numerous books, including Difficult Reputations: Collective Memories of the Evil, Inept, and Controversial; With the Boys: Little League Baseball and Preadolescent Culture; and Shared Fantasy: Role-Playing Games as Social Worlds, all published by the University of Chicago Press.
Table of Contents
Preface
Introduction
1. Little League and the Adult Organization of Child's Play
2. Little League as Sport and Play
3. Moral Socialization: Adult Concerns
4. Moral Socialization: Peer Concerns
5. Sexual and Agressive Themes of Preadolescent Boys
6. Small Groups and Preadolescent Culture
7. Preadolescent Subculture
8. Sport, Culture, and Preadolescence
Appendix 1: The Effects of Little League Baseball
Appendix 2: Participant Observation with Children
Appendix 3: Research Settings and Data Sources
Notes
References
Index