College basketball experienced its greatest rise in popularity during the eighties, becoming one of the most commercially successful spectator sports in America. With this rise came an era of scandal: recruiting violations, spurious admittance practices, and controversial treatment of student athletes. Within this guarded context of scrutiny, allegations of improprieties, and media celebrity, Patricia and Peter Adler penetrated the public front of a top twenty basketball team. The result of their efforts, Backboards and Blackboards: College Athletes and Role Engulfment, is a compelling inside account of an exciting, intimidating, and glamorous hidden arena.
The Adlers use a qualitative research study w/Peter becoming a participant observer to study the socialization of college athletes and the social psychology of the self. I believe this piece of research is valid research. It saddened me to read what our materialistic world is doing to the young individuals that are recruited for college basketball. It also proved to me that college basketball is about big business, and not really a sport. Unfortunately, it continues today and not only in basketball. Thank you Patricia and Peter for opening our eyes. Anyone interested in knowing the real truth about college athletics should consider reading this book.
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