1980 Socialization Essay

1002 Words5 Pages
The HBO documentary Do You Believe In Miracles? The Story of the 1980 U.S. Men’s Hockey Team digs deep into the sociological process of sport and how that process propelled the United States Hockey past the powerful Soviet Union hockey dynasty to a gold medal. Even more than the process of socialization, the HBO Films documentary explores the American values during the years of the Cold War and how those values made the matchup against the Soviet Union ‘bigger than life’ for not just the players involved, but citizens of both countries. Throughout the documentary, there are three important concepts that are to be raised: 1) How does the U.S. Hockey team provide an illustration of sport and societal values? 2) How did both Coach Herb Brooks and the Soviet coach use the process of socialization with their team? And finally, 3) How did a victory over the Soviet Union become a major victory for the United States as a whole, even if for people whom not a fan of Hockey or the Olympics? During the midst of the Cold War, the rivalry between the Soviet Union and the United States was bigger than ever. More than the rivalry, the American people were left un-easy as anti-American fundamentalists seized the U.S. Embassy of Iran and held American Embassy workers hostage. It is this loss of power and control that Americans were so accustomed to that served as a microcosm of the U.S. – Soviet Hockey rivalry. Despite winning only 1 medal since their gold in 1960, compared to the Soviet’s four-straight gold, the U.S. hockey team would have to stay true to old American values such as hard work and perseverance; values that are all necessary to achieve what’s known as the ‘American Dream.’ Not nearly as talented as some countries, but with a strong work ethic, the U.S. Hockey team became capable of reaching their peak physical shape. However, despite their hard work and peak
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