Propagandizing Olympic Venuesformatting Requiremen
The Olympics
Comparative Analysis Between Past and Present
Assignment:
Having read Allen Guttmann’s The Olympics: A History of the Modern Games and considering what you’ve learned from your readings and lecture, what cultural prejudices, norms, trends, and/or challenges exist in the modern games that can be found in the history of the ancient Olympics? (Choose one major theme to focus your essay.) Beyond changes in specific events and competitions, how are the concepts of ancient Greek sport and competition alive and well in the modern games. Surveying the event’s history from 1896 to the present, why has the trend you identify not changed over the last 2000-3000 years? If there are any minor shifts, alterations, or manipulations to the theme you analyze is it for the better or worse when it comes to international competition? Why? Finally, why haven’t things changed from antiquity? What innate human trait is being represented here, and why can’t we shake it as a species?
Possible Topics for Consideration:
(If you find another topic/theme to pursue, that is entirely fine. Just run it by Travis first.)
- Politics
- Race
- War
- Gender
- Cheating (competitive dishonesty)
- Hero worship
- Amateurism vs. Professionalism
- Management of the games (caretakers and selection committees)
- Money
- Corruption
- Elimination of old and introduction of new events
- National pride
- Treatment and legacy of athletes after the games
- Commercializing and propagandizing Olympic venues
Formatting Requirements:
4-5 full pages
Double-spaced
12 pt font
1-inch margins all the way around the document
Advice on Composition and Content:
Generalities are not good. They don’t actually provide any compelling analysis or argument that would indicate a deep reading and understanding of the text and culture. Specifics are excellent. They provide unique, bold, and compelling platforms on which to construct your essay.
If you choose good examples, you will not need many for this short paper. You are not writing a comprehensive analysis, but rather giving specific insight to how certain aspects or outside influences have affected sports (namely the Olympics) from antiquity to the present. You are not required to use anything but the texts you have purchased for this course. If you choose to draw from outside sources, be sure to provide a works cited page at the end of your essay. This page will not be counted as part of the 4- 5 page requirement. Do not use online resources, as most of them are highly unreliable.
For references on how to construct inline citations and works cited pages, consult the following writing style guides:
- APA (American Psychological Association)
- Chicago Manual of Style
- MLA (Modern Language Association)