Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

To Hold And To Discipline : A Winnicottian And Foucauldian Examination Of Adolescent Athletics Through The Case Of Friday Night Lights, Westley C. Rutter

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

This theoretical study examined the impact of organized team sports participation on adolescent psychosocial functioning and development. Theoretical concepts were illustrated with examples present in the high school football themed television series, Friday Night Lights. Winnicottian theories were used to explain how athletics could facilitate adolescent development and be psychologically reparative for adolescents who experienced early childhood caregiver failures. In contrast, Foucauldian concepts were applied to demonstrate how disciplinary mechanisms in sports may augment the effects of internalized oppression for adolescents of color and economically marginalized adolescents. The study explored the possible impact of sports-based interventions for youth, cautioning social …