MAPACA

Mid-Atlantic Popular &
American Culture Association

Whether athletes, specifically, those in the National Football League (NFL), should stand, kneel, or take some other action, prior to the beginning of a game, has become a topic of much discussion. The issue was the result of several athletes not standing, as is the traditional practice, when the national anthem is played before the start of a game. What began as a protest concerning social justice issues, that is, police brutality and racial injustice, has resulted in various responses from the president of the United States, from owners, from athletes, and from the general public regarding the display of standing and kneeling by athletes. In addition, the recent ruling by the NFL commissioner to resolve the issue has created more dialogs about the topic of standing and kneeling at football games. What might be of interest to students of culture is the purpose of these symbols as language. Certainly, language in various forms (e.g., art, clothing, food, and painting) is a central feature in culture inquiry, and this topic of standing and kneeling should lend itself to this type of study. With dialog from players and visual displays as data, this presentation analyzes the symbols of standing and kneeling from the perspective of cultural semiotics. Specifically, it looks at standing and kneeling as a message conveyed to audiences and the responses to these acts. In short, it is an aspect of cultural representation advanced by Hall (2007). A presentation of this type draws from various theoretical leanings. They include: linguistics, cognitive psychology, and cultural semiotics.