Critical Analysis

The social problem I selected that the Native American ethnicity faces is the debate over the use of
Native American names and symbols as mascots. Numerous civil rights, religious, educational,
athletic, and academic organizations consider the use of native names or symbols by non-native
teams to be a harmful form of ethnic stereotyping which should be eliminated. Many view the use of
these names offensive, demeaning, or racist. Others believe that the use of these names are not
offensive and has never been meant to be offensive on any level.
Americans have a deep history of pulling inspiration from the Native American culture. This is the
origin of many of the mascots and nicknames that we see in professional sports, as well as in
college and high school mascot names. Sports is not the only place where we see these identities
organizations like the Boy Scouts of America also have a Native American influence. In the 19
th
and
20
th
centuries is where we see universities that adopted Indian names and symbols. These were
based on how Native American life was imagined by Euro-Americans.
We see social constructionism in this social problem. The Externalization that is seen in this problem
dates back to the 1800s. A mascot was originally referred to any object or talisman that brought luck
to a person or household. In sports the boys that took on small team responsibilities in the early
games of baseball and football. They brought good luck to their teams. Soon sports relied on the
racial hierarchy and identity that was the idea of blackness equaled animalism. Baseball teams
adapted names and because of the success of teams like the 1912 Boston Braves struck a trend for
other teams that were looking for new nicknames.
Objectivation: This trend can be seeing with other sports teams and mascots, not just on the
professional level, but college and high schools. Also this trend as moved into different organizations
non-sports related. Also fans using the mascot as way to dress up which feeds the problem
Interlazation: This is evident in the debate that is now associated with this is social problems. Society
has split itself in half over the question if this is a tribute or a stereotype? I believe this will be a
question that will stand for many years. Some will always say that it is not offensive and as sports
teams think about adopting a Native American name, it will be because they want to show tribute to
the Native Americans. At the same time, there will be individuals and groups of people that will say
that this is offensive and racist. There will be schools that will change their nicknames to something
not of a Native American origin and will fight to say that this needs to change. They will fight and say
that we need to abolish this tradition.