Abstract
This paper charts a theoretical path through the colonial systems of power that enable and perpetuate the commodification and exploitation of Black athletic labor in urban spaces. The paper begins by providing a brief literature review of this nuanced intersection, specifically focused on the social conditioning of prospective and current Black athletes, and their systematically foreclosed outlets for play—a process Hawkins describes as the conveyor belt (Hawkins, 2010). Hawkins (2010) argues the conveyor belt functions as a mechanism to remove Black children from their families and home communities to provide labor for White controlled institutions, like sport. Leveraging critical sport and society theory, this paper explores the ways in which Black children are socially conditioned to believe that athletic participation is the only means of attaining socio-economic mobility for the individual and their family (Edwards, 2000; Brooks, 2009; Howard, 2014).The paper argues that the institution of sport stems from the larger colonial project fueled by the predatory, neoliberal relationship between, place, capitalism, and the Black body, enabling our continued dehumanization (Robinson, 2002; Roy, 2007). Using the colonial matrix of power as a grounding framework, this paper examines the political economy of sport in city spaces and bodily taxation to propose an expanded understanding of shrunken adolescence at this intersection. By using this framework, this paper ultimately calls for further evaluation of the multifaceted impacts of bodily taxation on urban communities, while also exploring opportunities for resistance through play.
Presenters
Rachel RobersonAssistant Professor, School of Language, Culture, and Society, Oregon State University, OR, United States
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
2025 Special Focus—Global Sports Local Cultures
KEYWORDS
Shrunken Adolescence; Critical Sport and Society; Coloniality
