| Are spatial practices in an urban setting associated with certain interests? Are professional sports stadiums a representation of specific interests? To what extent are the built sports landscapes a representation of values and interests of the dominant social group(s)? Are these places used to change attitudes?;This thesis has examined these questions using the concept of place--sports stadiums as places. The methodology used is a mixed one. The thesis has traced the development of sports places in the American society, examined the forces behind the location of sports facilities, and analyzed case studies--Wrigley Field (Chicago), and Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome (Minneapolis).;Sports stadiums seem to represent both ideological hegemony and popular resistance. Ideological hegemony refers to cultural domination by certain groups and also mass culture; popular resistance refers to opposition to their dominance. The ideology of the stadiums springs from a creation of social communication or moral order whereby sports and sports stadiums are seen as morally correct for society, and also as a relation of power in which stadiums represent political and money interests.;The ideas, interests, and efforts of particular individuals, such as Mr. Weeghman and the Chicago Tribune in the case of Wrigley Field, and the twenty-six corporations of the Industrial Square Development Company (ISDC) in the case of Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, were instrumental in making the sports places a reality.;The use-values and outcomes of sports landscapes examined in the thesis suggest that attitudes of the residents and fans have changed. The building of the Metrodome in downtown Minneapolis was opposed for a long time. But current evidence suggests that it is now a source of civic pride. The installation of lights at Wrigley Field is also now tolerated. This has been possible because the population identifies with the teams and stadiums. The stadium is a location, a locale, and has a sense of place.;It is through the interplay of location, locale, and sense of place that hegemonic powers exercised in this built landscape has been examined. The evidence here suggests that professional sports stadiums represent hegemonic powers. Stadiums as built landscapes are spectacles. |
