| The role that places like Fenway Park play in the social life of a city is the subject of this dissertation. While exploring the importance of this iconic ballpark, the project addresses issues relevant to ongoing debates about American civic culture and the persistence of local sentiment within cities. Notable among them is the importance of "places" in a world where local attachments and sentiments appear to be trumped by "global" networks and "virtual" communities. Within sociology and urban studies, there has been renewed interest in the social impact of leisure and recreation industries and amenities. These industries have become major factors in urban historic preservation and redevelopment projects. Such places also provide common reference points that help residents and tourists define the city's identity and character. Since the late 1990s, there has been a considerable amount of heated debate in and around the city of Boston concerning the future of Fenway Park, the home playing grounds of the Boston Red Sox and the oldest major league ballpark in operation (built in 1912). Debates over the status of sports facilities are not new in Boston and are currently taking place in a number of other American cities (e.g., New York, Cleveland, Indianapolis, New Orleans, and San Francisco). Yet, the debate about Fenway Park is more complicated because of its longevity and cultural significance. The present situation concerning the removal or renovation of Fenway Park provides a valuable empirical case for investigating the use of leisure and recreation facilities in urban areas as places for the practice of community and civic culture. Data were obtained through the following qualitative field research methods: participant observation, archival research, and intensive interviewing. I interviewed fans and non-fans, persons who work in and around the ballpark including current and former Red Sox players and personnel, and the persons who ultimately have to decide what to do with the park and the team (e.g., Red Sox owners and executives, city officials and the Boston Redevelopment Agency). Uncovering and analyzing the ways that people in and outside of Boston use the ballpark and respond to the debate about its future demonstrates the multiple approaches that persons take toward the maintenance and reconstruction of a city's cultural beliefs and practices. |
