Work and Play
Focusing on one specific form of nightlife or entertainment covered in the readings, discuss how this example relates to—deepens—your understanding of the trends explored earlier in the semester (industrialization, technology, diversity/immigration, capitalism, etc.).
Student Reflection 1:
The progression of gambling as a form of leisure in urban life mirrors political dynamics across different groups. Regardless of social class, gambling took on a form that adapted to the participants’ lifestyles, from working class taverns to wealthier clubs. Even though the exact nature of gambling evolved over time and games came and went, they still retained significant popularity. However, these businesses were viewed unfavorably by governments and were closely associated with organized crime, stereotypes of immigrants, and corruption. The perception of moral failures in society was a driving factor for leaders of the progressive movement to call for reform. Improved wages, working hours, and educational programs could be tied to more socially acceptable activities. An interesting side effect is with a widespread labor movement, laborers had more time that they could use to partake in these activities.
Political systems at the time infiltrated even leisure activities. The gambling industry was a vast business network that cooperated extensively with the police and politicians. Machine politicians could be found as heads of gambling in pool rooms in New York, and they organized police protection for owners and customers. They would also be able to manage the competition between the different gambling establishments. Providing economic benefits and protection that bypassed government regulations is a recurring theme of political networks of this era. Competition within games also carried over into political rivalries, where sides were often divided along party lines.
One of the reasons for sports gambling’s popularity was its potential to represent an alternative reality for urban residents. Regardless of their actual status in society, they had an equal opportunity to win. Money earned through this manner was viewed as a path towards legal legitimacy and social mobility.
[by an MIT student, reproduced with permission]
Student Reflection 2:
The development of baseball mirrors many of the trends that we observe throughout the growth of cities, but also came about as a natural consequence of many of the unique characteristics of an urban environment. Faced with a constant onslaught of endless labor, workers were desperate for any source of relief: finding temporary freedom by playing baseball. However, as games grew in size and spread across the nation, there was a need for a common set of rules to ensure that everybody—including an unprecedented level of diversity from immigration—could understand and play the game. Barth also identifies the game of baseball as a kind of metaphor for city life. A constrained system of fierce competition, with strict rules yet players constantly toeing the line for advantage—many spectators saw their own lives reflected in the diamond. Finally, what pushed baseball into true dominance was the accumulation of capital through betting. What is the stock market but another form of speculation on future outcomes?
The spread of baseball also required many of the technologies integral to the growth of urban America. The initial spread of baseball nationwide is considered to have come about due to the civil war, with the considerable railway infrastructure of the North transporting the game from coast to coast. This rapid dissemination of ideas sowed the seeds for this influential game. Additionally, baseball’s rise to dominance could not have been possible without the kind of information networks that grew alongside cities. Long, disparate work shifts meant that fans would need detailed accounts of recent local games since it was impossible for everyone to attend. Betting, the ultimate attractor of capital, likewise pushed this information network to the extreme, providing the most widespread, up-to-date information in order to remove easy arbitrage. Baseball even had an important effect on the reporters of the day, birthing a new style of writing full of character and emotion; successful perhaps due to its stark contrast to the dull monotonous work of city jobs.
Baseball through the decades, especially today, has growth remarkably like early industries. Certain players attracted people, fame, money, and thus the field of “baseball” became seen as another way of succeeding. The commodification of baseball continued with the formation of formal regulatory organizations, a defined set of rules, and savvy investors recognizing the potential value of building stadiums. This influx of interest from many sides would push out the “amateurs,” leaving behind only the most skilled, dedicated, and well trained/funded “professionals.” Still, baseball was another avenue people could chase the American dream— anybody, regardless of status, looked like they could achieve riches if they had the right physical abilities. Today, when we see remarkable 700 million dollar contracts, it’s hard not to see baseball teams as mega-corporations. By observing how America’s favorite game came to be, we get a glimpse of the driving forces behind urbanization.
[by an MIT student, reproduced with permission]
