Abstract
The paper is an historical account of a society in a crisis, but of a much different nature than our current one. England in the early 1600s was buffeted by political and religious debates, and was undergoing profound social, demographic, and economic changes. In the midst of this turmoil, a provincial barrister by the name of Robert Dover, living in the Cotswold hills in the west of the country, began to promote an annual spring celebration of games. Dover’s games would eventually become nationally famous, with comparison to the famed “Olympicks” of ancient Greece. The paper argues that Dover’s games can be understood as a response to modern pressures, and a method for modeling public behavior and public attitudes appropriate to the new era.
Presenters
Mark BrewinAssociate Professor, Media Studies, The University of Tulsa, Oklahoma, United States
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
2021 Special Focus—Sport and Society in Crisis
KEYWORDS
Modernity, Sport, History, Media, Politics, Religion
