Selves in play: Sports, scouts, and American cultural citizenship

In: International review for the sociology of sport: irss ; a quarterly edited on behalf of the International Sociology of Sport Association (ISSA), Band 45, Heft 3, S. 390-409

Abstract

US youth organizations, several now celebrating their hundredth birthdays, have inherited a history of crafting selves through cultural appropriation. In organizations such as the YMCA, Boy Scouts of America, and Camp Fire Girls, woodcraft and wilderness sports associated with Native Americans have played a privileged role, serving to construct American citizens through a form of mimesis popularly known as 'playing Indian'. As dominant ways of dealing with cultural diversity have changed from assimilation and cultural appropriation to multicultural inclusion, and as various anti-discrimination laws have been enacted, US youth organizations have struggled to transform their traditions. This article tracks a history of cultural appropriation and organized play in US youth development organizations in order to understand these organizations' dilemmas and strategies as they attempt to remain vital and relevant in the 21st century.