How Soccer Explains the World

Franklin Foer tries to put in perspective globalization in terms of soccer to illustrate the differences and conflicts of cultures. He first goes into detail about American culture and the social aspect of sports in the community, describing it as "fashionable, but not to be taken lightly." Soccer or any type of sport creates a competitive atmosphere that drives people to become aggressive, but soccer gave the idea to parents that is was less hostile than American football or baseball, and that they could "project their values." Thus boosting self-esteem and lessening the pressure of competitiveness. Unlike America, other countries think of soccer differently to how we view it. Some Americans even dislike the game so strongly as to campaign against the sport. As Barra states, it is however the most popular game in the world, but they can't afford other sport leagues that they could enjoy more. He concludes that some have a "phobia of globalization getting with the rest of the world's program." Some of American culture however has been split to share values with Europeans in which they consider to transcend the national boundaries.