Susan Birrell will retire in December 2019 after 40 years at the University of Iowa. Professor Birrell’s groundbreaking scholarship has both contributed to and expanded the boundaries of the Sociology of Sport. Importantly, she was among the first scholars in North America to apply feminist analyses to sport. She has additionally made contributions to the area of critical race theory and sport including an important essay in the Sociology of Sport Journal in 1989, “Race Relations Theories and Sport: Suggestions for a More Critical Analysis.” Dr. Birrell is also among the first scholars to introduce key aspects of British Cultural Studies to sport scholars and she has also written about intersectionality and sport. Her scholarship on narrative analysis and intertextuality helped to usher in a linguistic turn in Sports Studies and further demonstrates her commitment to interdisciplinarity. This panel discusses Dr. Birrell’s scholarly contributions, impact on the field, and the need to critically examine and expand upon the current state of Sports Studies scholarship.
Participants: Mary G. McDonald Theresa Walton-Fisette Jane Stangl Yu-Kuei Sun Marta Mack-Washington
Thursday November 7, 2019 12:35pm - 1:35pm EST
Spotswood Arms
