20th Annual Student Research Conference
Social Science
Revisiting the National Pastime: A Look at the Socioeconomic
Stratification of the Baseball Fan throughout the 20th Century
Jill N. Scognamgilio
Dr. Amber Johnson, Faculty Mentor
Becoming a baseball fan is a cliché for becoming an American. Everyone, it seems, has a story of their childhood that involves some sort of memory about baseball. In the early days, being a fan of baseball meant simply being passionate about the game. Fans of varying ethnicities stood shoulder to shoulder to cheer for their favorite team. Nowadays, though, the culture among the fans has changed to include a more stratified system of fandom where being a fan is not only about being passionate but can also be driven by the influence of the all-mighty dollar. The purpose of this paper will be to detail the evolution of the baseball fan throughout the twentieth century to determine when the stratification occurred in the fan culture of America’s national pastime.
Keywords: Baseball, Fans, 20th Century, Stratificaton
Topic(s):Sociology/Anthropology
Presentation Type: Oral Paper
Session: 16-2
Location: VH 1010
Time: 8:30 am