Football U.
Spectator Sports in the Life of the American University
by J. Douglas Toma

A balanced look at the use of athletic programs as a tool in "branding" universities and in building community spirit, support, and identity both on campus and off.

What Professors Are Saying
"...I'll be using Football U. in my spring class, 'Patriotism, Consumerism, and Group Identity.' This is a first year writing course that will focus on issues of how we come to develop identity through collective traits and interests. Being at Duke, we'll spend the Spring semester immersed in Blue Devil Basketball, and I want my students to have a better sense of how 'their team' serves larger institutional interests. We'll also be looking at group identity brought about by accident of birth (race/ethnicity, gender, nationality/statehood, religion), as well as other groups of active choice (fraternities/sororities, labor unions, and consumer brand loyalties). I think Toma's book fits this course perfectly."
—Herb Childress, Duke University

Intergroup Dialogue
Deliberative Democracy in School, College, Community, and Workplace
edited by David Schoem and Sylvia Hurtado

A study of the role of communication in the creation of a more just society.

What Professors Are Saying
"I've been working with dialogue and public dialogue for a while, and last year, I offered a selected topics course that I called 'Promoting Public Dialogue.' We try to focus on alternative ways to manage public or civic discourse....This year, I wanted to add a book that focuses on extant public dialogue projects, and your Intergroup Dialogue book is it."
—Ken Cissna, University of South Florida