tag:theconversation.com,2011:/us/topics/underdog-28017/articlesUnderdog – The Conversation2022-03-24T12:12:52Ztag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1797422022-03-24T12:12:52Z2022-03-24T12:12:52ZHow much is the media buzz from a March Madness Cinderella run worth to a school like Saint Peter’s?<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/453879/original/file-20220323-23-3vc3bl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=246%2C14%2C3919%2C3114&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Saint Peter's guard Doug Edert celebrates during the team's upset win over Kentucky.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/saint-peters-peacocks-guard-doug-edert-celebrates-after-a-news-photo/1239283418?adppopup=true">Zach Bolinger/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Few people outside Jersey City had heard of the No. 15 seed Saint Peter’s Peacocks before <a href="https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/recap/_/gameId/401408578">they upset No. 2 seed Kentucky</a> in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.</p>
<p>Two days later, Saint Peter’s <a href="https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/recap?gameId=401408609">beat No. 7 seed Murray State</a> to advance to the <a href="https://www.cbssports.com/college-basketball/news/2022-ncaa-tournament-bracket-sweet-16-predictions-march-madness-round-by-round-picks-from-advanced-model/">Sweet 16</a> and become the darlings of the men’s college basketball world. Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski even suggested that the national media attention <a href="https://www.cbssports.com/college-basketball/news/coach-k-saint-peters-cinderella-run-will-translate-to-tens-of-millions-of-dollars-for-the-n-j-school/">could be worth tens of millions of dollars</a> to the small New Jersey school. </p>
<p>In 2020, <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=fdx8uMoAAAAJ&hl=en">I</a> <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/1527002520944437">published a study</a> with economists Trevor Collier, Kurt Rotthoff and Alaina Baker that explored the value of unexpected NCAA basketball tournament runs.</p>
<p>Coach K’s forecast is a bit bullish. But we were able to show that <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earned_media">earned media</a> from a Cinderella run does boost enrollment, which has a tangible financial benefit. </p>
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<p>Basketball fans tend to know one when they see it, but what exactly is a <a href="https://www.ncaa.com/news/basketball-men/article/2021-03-01/11-greatest-march-madness-cinderella-stories">Cinderella team</a>?</p>
<p>Notable examples include No. 10 seed Davidson, led by Stephen Curry, <a href="https://www.sportscasting.com/ncaa-tournament-reliving-stephen-currys-elite-eight-run-with-davidson-2008/">making the Elite Eight in 2008</a>; <a href="https://www.ncaa.com/news/basketball-men/article/2020-03-05/remember-butlers-incredible-2010-ncaa-run">No. 5 seed Butler’s run to the national championship game</a> in 2010; and No. 15 seed Florida Gulf Coast <a href="https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/tournament/2013/story/_/id/9094654/2013-ncaa-tournament-florida-gulf-coast-eagles-make-history-reaching-sweet-16">dunking its way to the Sweet 16 in 2013</a>. </p>
<p>We studied teams in the NCAA men’s basketball tournament from 1985 to 2017. During this period, there were 57 instances of Cinderella runs by 52 different schools. </p>
<p>We defined Cinderella schools as teams that won at least two games, excluding <a href="https://www.ncaa.com/news/basketball-men/bracketiq/2022-03-15/first-four-ncaa-tournament-ultimate-guide">play-in games</a>; did not enter as a No. 1 or No. 2 seed; and were dubbed a “Cinderella” or something similar by the media. Our results were consistent even when using slight variations of these criteria.</p>
<p>We found that private schools, such as <a href="https://www.niche.com/colleges/saint-peters-university/">Saint Peter’s</a>, experience the largest gains, with an average increase in freshman enrollment of 4.4% two years after a Cinderella run. Furthermore, student quality – as measured by SAT scores – doesn’t decline with this added enrollment.</p>
<p>The national media coverage following unexpected tournament success generates large spikes in Google search trends by curious viewers, which, of course, include prospective students. The sudden attention and interest are basically a form of free advertising.</p>
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<p>Using data from <a href="https://petersonsdata.com/undergraduate-institutional-data/">Peterson’s Undergraduate Database</a>, we estimated that a 4.4% increase over the typical entering class at a private college is worth approximately US$9 million in additional revenue from tuition and room and board over the course of four years.</p>
<p>Saint Peter’s, however, has a much smaller entering class than that of a typical private school – its student body includes only <a href="https://www.saintpeters.edu/about/facts-stats/">2,000 undergraduates</a>. Kurt Rotthoff, one of the co-authors of our study, <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/karenweaver/2022/03/21/cinderella-runs-like-saint-peters-can-impact-a-universitys-bottom-line-just-not-as-much-as-you-think/?sh=1e1871281d22">recently calculated</a> that the team’s current run would amount to around $3.2 million over four years.</p>
<p><a href="https://jarenpope.weebly.com/uploads/2/9/7/3/29731963/2009_pope_pope_sej.pdf">Other studies</a> have also found an increase in applications following success in the NCAA men’s basketball tournament, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177%2F1527002512445569">primarily due to heightened media attention</a>. </p>
<p>While there’s some debate over <a href="https://digitalcommons.odu.edu/aphe/vol1/iss1/1/">whether college athletics supports the academic mission</a> of schools, <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/newyork/video/heros-welcome-for-saint-peters-university-mens-basketball-team/">Saint Peter’s is reveling in the moment</a>. And aside from excitement for students, alumni and fans, the university can expect to see returns in the form of increased enrollment over the next couple of years, thanks to the attention being showered on their men’s basketball team.</p>
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<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Haskell was a student-athlete (women's soccer) at Davidson College during the Elite Eight run in 2008.</span></em></p>A recent study found that an unexpected run in the NCAA men’s basketball tournament can boost enrollment.Nancy Haskell, Assistant Professor of Economics, University of DaytonLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1796302022-03-23T18:58:34Z2022-03-23T18:58:34ZHow fairy tales shape fighting spirit: Ukraine’s children hear bedtime stories of underdog heroes, while Russian children hear tales of magical success<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/453675/original/file-20220322-23-pzkjgc.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=17%2C0%2C5973%2C3988&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">A Ukrainian soldier wanders down a railway past the bodies of dead Russian soldiers on the outskirts of Irpin, Ukraine, March 1, 2022. </span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/ukrainian-soldier-wanders-down-the-railway-to-inspect-news-photo/1238854980?adppopup=true">Marcus Yam/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>At the outset of Russia’s invasion, almost no one in the West expected that <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2022/03/04/russias-invasion-of-ukraine-is-baffling-military-analysts.html">Ukraine would be able to offer Russia any kind of serious opposition</a> to its unprovoked aggression. </p>
<p>Much has been written about how leaders, including allies, underestimated the leadership ability of Volodymyr Zelenskyy. But beyond miscalculating how a comedian could transform into a <a href="https://theweek.com/russo-ukrainian-war/1011073/we-will-fight-to-the-end-zelensky-quotes-churchill-in-speech-to-uk">Winston Churchill-like figure</a>, <a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-putin-zelenskyy-nato-europe-fc52fa8b510fef79cb5505ebe8a841a8">military assessments of the Ukrainian army</a> were also <a href="https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-ukraine-invasion-scenarios/31614428.html">way off</a>. </p>
<p>A year into the war, it’s clear many overestimated the Russian army’s will and <a href="https://www.csis.org/analysis/moscows-continuing-ukrainian-buildup">capability to fight</a> and the Ukrainian army’s <a href="https://thehill.com/policy/national-security/595799-us-intelligence-officials-concerned-kyiv-could-fall-to-russia-within">will to resist an opponent superior in number, equipment and positioning</a>. </p>
<p>What can explain the way the Ukraine war has played out, in contradiction to experts’ predictions?</p>
<p>We believe that one factor underlying the unexpected performance of each country’s military can be traced to the cultural differences between Russians and Ukrainians. Those differences were cultivated in part through the fairy tales of their childhoods.</p>
<p>One of us, Sophia Moskalenko, is an expert on the <a href="https://doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780190689322.001.0001">psychology of fairy tales</a>. The other, Mia Bloom, studies <a href="https://www.cornellpress.cornell.edu/book/9780801453885/small-arms/">children’s mobilization into violent extremism</a> – why and how children turn to violence. We know the power of folklore in shaping the worldview of children and, ultimately, of the adults they grow up to be.</p>
<h2>Underdog hero vs. magical thinking</h2>
<p>Folklore is important for understanding people’s cultural narratives – story lines that describe something unique to the culture’s history and its people. They help to define a cultural identity and, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/1468-4446.12667">in subtle ways, shape future choices</a>. The master narratives that Ukrainian children grow up with – which serve as the dominant cultural script – are radically different from the ones Russian children absorb. </p>
<p>Traditional Ukrainian bedtime stories, such as “<a href="https://%D0%BA%D0%B0%D0%B7%D0%BA%D0%B0.%D1%83%D0%BA%D1%80/kotigoroshko2.html">Kotygoroshko</a>,” “<a href="https://kazky.org.ua/zbirky/ukrajinsjki-narodni-kazky/kyrylo-kozhumjaka">Kyrylo Kozhumyaka</a>” and “<a href="https://%D0%BA%D0%B0%D0%B7%D0%BA%D0%B0.%D1%83%D0%BA%D1%80/ivasik_telesik.html">Ivasyk Telesyk</a>,” all portray unassuming characters persevering against insurmountable odds. The character arc takes them through challenges, testing their will and transforming them from vulnerable to triumphant. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/453685/original/file-20220322-13-19mop9w.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Bronze statue of a girl slaying a large dragon with a club." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/453685/original/file-20220322-13-19mop9w.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/453685/original/file-20220322-13-19mop9w.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/453685/original/file-20220322-13-19mop9w.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/453685/original/file-20220322-13-19mop9w.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/453685/original/file-20220322-13-19mop9w.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/453685/original/file-20220322-13-19mop9w.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/453685/original/file-20220322-13-19mop9w.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">A sculpture in Kyiv of Ukrainian fairy tale character Kotygoroshko defeating the evil dragon.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/thisisbossi/3905251485/in/photolist-4DJewv-DqjJH-6X6rda">thisisbossie/Flickr</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/">CC BY-SA</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>These fairy tales follow a well-known narrative arc of the underdog hero – a formula used for decades in bestselling books like “<a href="https://clarionherald.org/news/harry-potter-chronicles-battle-between-good-evil">Harry Potter</a>” and Hollywood blockbusters like “<a href="https://epicheroism.wordpress.com/home/david-vs-goliath/">Star Wars</a>.” </p>
<p>In Ukrainian children’s bedtime stories, the main characters often start out as unlikely heroes, but their courage, cleverness and grit help them succeed against the odds.</p>
<p>In contrast, <a href="https://ls.pushkininstitute.ru/lsslovar/index.php?title=%D0%98%D0%B2%D0%B0%D0%BD%D1%83%D1%88%D0%BA%D0%B0-%D0%B4%D1%83%D1%80%D0%B0%D1%87%D0%BE%D0%BA/C1-C2">Russian children’s stories often</a> revolve around <a href="http://ec-dejavu.ru/i/Ivan_durak.html">a central character named Ivan Durak</a> – <a href="https://nukadeti.ru/skazki/skazki-pro-ivana-duraka">Ivan the Stupid</a>. He’s the third brother, inferior to his older brothers, one of whom is typically smart, the other average. When the main character is not explicitly called “stupid” he is portrayed as lazy, <a href="https://nukadeti.ru/skazki/po-shhuchemu-veleniyu">lounging in bed all day</a> <a href="https://openlibrary.org/works/OL7968651W/Ivan_the_Fool">while his older brothers work hard</a>. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/453695/original/file-20220322-20-1l6mtul.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A young boy rides a clay stove down a snowy hill, following a fancy sled and what looks like a soldier on a horse." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/453695/original/file-20220322-20-1l6mtul.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/453695/original/file-20220322-20-1l6mtul.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=756&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/453695/original/file-20220322-20-1l6mtul.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=756&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/453695/original/file-20220322-20-1l6mtul.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=756&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/453695/original/file-20220322-20-1l6mtul.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=951&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/453695/original/file-20220322-20-1l6mtul.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=951&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/453695/original/file-20220322-20-1l6mtul.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=951&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">A 1913 illustration from Russian folk tale ‘At the Pike’s Behest,’ also known as ‘Emelyan the Fool.’</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=77435520">В. Курдюмов</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>In Russian fairy tales such as “<a href="https://stpetersburg-guide.com/folk/pike.shtml">By the Pike’s Wish</a>,” “<a href="https://www.russianamericancompany.com/the-frog-princess/">Princess Frog</a>” and “<a href="https://www.russianamericancompany.com/sivka-burka-1/">Sivka Burka</a>,” the main character eventually prevails. He doesn’t win through his own virtues, though, but through the intervention of a magical being – a fish, a frog, a horse – that does all the hard work while the main character claims credit. </p>
<p>These Russian folk tales seem to suggest that the recipe for success is not to be too smart or work too hard, like the two older brothers, but to sit tight in hope that magic will take care of everything. </p>
<h2>Facing the greatest challenge</h2>
<p>Most adults don’t walk around thinking about the fairy tales they heard as children. However, these early stories, experienced through the magnifying glass of childhood emotions, <a href="https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/203434/the-uses-of-enchantment-by-bruno-bettelheim/">shape our understanding about the world</a>. They determine the repertoire of our actions, especially in <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/036215370403400305">times of crisis</a>. </p>
<p>Fairy tales prepare us to recognize real-life heroes and villains, love and betrayal, good and evil. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780190689322.003.0013">They guide our actions as we navigate these dichotomies</a>.</p>
<p>The difference in traditional Russian and Ukrainian folklore might in part explain the difference between the Russian and Ukrainian armies’ performances. </p>
<p>When facing the greatest challenge of their lifetimes, <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2022/03/03/russia-struggle-ukraine-soldiers-morale-00013397">those in the Russian army failed to perform well and demonstrated poor morale</a>. By contrast, <a href="https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/blogs/ukrainealert/putin-has-fatally-underestimated-ukrainians/">Ukrainians rose to the challenge in a spectacular way</a>, transforming themselves through grit and determination from the underdog to the hero who just might succeed against all odds.</p>
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<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Mia Bloom receives funding from the Minerva Research Initiative and the Office of Naval Research, any opinions, findings, or recommendations expressed are those of the author alone and do not reflect the views of the Office of Naval Research, the Department of the Navy or the Department of Defense. Bloom is also the International Security Fellow at New America.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Sophia Moskalenko receives funding from the Minerva Research Initiative and the Office of Naval Research. Any opinions, findings, or recommendations expressed in this article are those of the author and do not reflect the views of the Office of Naval Research, the Department of the Navy or the Department of Defense.</span></em></p>The Russian army has fared poorly and the Ukrainian military has fared well, defying experts’ predictions about the war in Ukraine. Can children’s fairy tales help explain the difference?Mia M. Bloom, Professor of Communication and Middle East Studies, Georgia State UniversitySophia Moskalenko, Research Fellow in Social Psychology, Georgia State UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/666462016-10-07T15:02:09Z2016-10-07T15:02:09ZWhat fairytales can tell us about Jeremy Corbyn<p>When Jeremy Corbyn won his second Labour leadership contest, the Guardian <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2016/sep/23/andy-burnham-jeremy-corbyns-labour-leadership-call-for-unity">pronounced it</a> Groundhog Day. And I, too, seem to find myself retracing the same ground(hog). Earlier this year I wrote <a href="https://theconversation.com/fairy-tale-expert-leicester-city-win-really-was-magical-58887">a piece</a> on the underdog hero and the fairytale of Leicester City – a theme I subsequently revived for <a href="https://theconversation.com/anthill-3-rooting-for-the-underdog-62368">a podcast</a>. And so I find myself back at Groundhog Zero: considering once again the figure of the underdog hero.</p>
<p>For many would agree that this is what Jeremy Corbyn is – or at least, that is the archetypal role in which he has unwittingly been cast. Dubbed “<a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/jeremy-corbyn-labour-gary-younge_uk_57e691fae4b0db20a6e9462a">the accidental leader</a>”, the apparently unassuming figure in his rumpled suits has captured the hearts and minds of vast swaths of the populace. Every attempt to dismiss or criticise him – whether such attempts have come from the mainstream media or from his own party – have only further inflamed his supporters to his defence. </p>
<p>The fact that Corbyn shares his initials with a certain Son of God may be a coincidence, but it’s difficult to ignore the proto-religious fervour that has accompanied JC on his whirlwind tour of top-level politics. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/wearehismedia">#WeAreHisMedia</a>, proclaimed the hashtag, using the capitalised masculine pronoun in a way more often found on Sunday morning billboards. In keeping with the strangely Biblical flavour, his detractors are not infrequently <a href="http://honestreporting.com/straw-men-and-hard-zionists-in-uk-political-race/">cast as Zionists</a> or <a href="http://www.thecanary.co/2016/07/08/the-blairites-have-found-a-back-door-way-to-seize-back-the-labour-party-and-theres-just-one-way-to-stop-them/">Blairites</a> – with even the latter sounding suspiciously like a fictional Hebraic tribe from a Monty Python movie.</p>
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<p>Underdog heroes are a staple of folklore and myth. Stories such as Jack and the Beanstalk, the Brave Little Tailor and Aladdin all celebrate the hero who transcends his humble origins and ascends to ultimate power. At the same time, myth shares certain of its functional aspects with religion. Biblical underdog heroes such as Moses, David (of Goliath fame) and especially Jesus were all saviours who stood up against the oppressor class. As such they are particularly resonant in our western Judaeo-Christian culture – perhaps especially in Britain, where forms of politico-religious nonconformism frequently underpinned an inheritance of working-class resistance and dissent in the industrial age. </p>
<p>Britain, too, has a national folk hero in the form of the legendary Robin Hood, based purely on his supposed endeavours to redistribute wealth. Unlike America, where wealth distribution is not always considered cause for celebration, Britain is a largely secular country as far as its politics and public life are concerned. And yet the structural archetypes of religion and myth persist, surfacing and resurfacing like the humps of an impossibly long-lived sea monster.</p>
<p>Human culture has defined and made sense of itself through myths and stories since time immemorial – and this basic human tendency remains, even if the myths assume different forms. Nowadays our popular heroes and villains are celebrities and politicians, whom we assume to be “real” but are little more than shared fantasy projections deriving from our collective need for myth. </p>
<p>Psychoanalytically speaking, the existence of an underdog hero at the mythic or dream level is what Freud would have termed a “wish-fulfilment fantasy”. As such, the underdog hero essentially becomes the opposite of a scapegoat: rising to prominence during times of social anxiety and disempowerment, he is a figure onto whom the wishes of the people are projected, their singular powerlessness transformed through their collective desire for empowerment. The diminutive but uncharacteristically powerful underdog thereby comes to represent and embody their imagined and wished-for social transformation.</p>
<p>Underdog heroes can represent the child in all of us: we want to rebel against the powerful social forces that dominate our adult lives just as the child does against the adult. So the fact that underdog heroes assume new levels of visibility during times of social stress and transition should not surprise us. The underdog represents an entire class of people, the unexpected triumph of the weak over the strong. </p>
<p>Whether or not the underdog hero effects genuine change is another matter. In fairytales, the underdog hero usually only needs to succeed within the narrow confines of his own narrative; he wins the princess, he wins the kingdom – or, in Jeremy Corbyn’s case, he wins the leadership election. The narrative seldom requires the hero demonstrate his skill in bringing the kingdom to altered and successful governance after the resolution of the story; he brings no definable change to the social order. In fairytales, there is nothing beyond the “happily ever after”.</p>
<p>So the problem of the real-life underdog hero is that his success pertains, not to society as a whole, but only to the perception of the hero himself. In his transformation from underdog to hero, his supporters see themselves transformed – temporarily at least. A hero becomes a screen for our collective projections – which is why it is so difficult for us to let go of the dreams he represents.</p>
<p>But Jeremy Corbyn is a man – not a myth. If the social transformation he represents is an archetypal one, driven by collective wish-fulfilment fantasies and unconscious projections, such transformations may not necessarily be translated successfully to our everyday reality. So how the denouement unfolds beyond the “happily ever after” remains to be seen. The ending to this particular fairytale has yet to be told.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/66646/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<h4 class="border">Disclosure</h4><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Victoria Anderson has been affiliated with both the Labour Party and the Green Party. </span></em></p>It’s difficult to ignore the proto-religious fervour that has accompanied Corbyn on his whirlwind tour of top-level politics.Victoria Anderson, Visiting Researcher in Cultural Studies, Cardiff UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/623682016-07-13T05:22:49Z2016-07-13T05:22:49ZAnthill 3: Rooting for the underdog<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/130275/original/image-20160712-9281-1cwg09j.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Who will you back?</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">shutterstock.com</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Everybody loves a tale of an underdog succeeding against the odds. From Hollywood to the world of sport, we love to see the little guys come out on top. Having witnessed some remarkable sporting successes in 2016, we decided to dedicate our third podcast to underdogs.</p>
<p>This episode’s mix of stories starts with a look at the historic progress made by Iceland and <a href="https://theconversation.com/unleashing-the-dragon-how-wales-got-so-good-at-football-62143">Wales</a> in the Euro 2016 football tournament, as well as <a href="https://theconversation.com/leicester-city-are-football-champions-of-england-im-tearful-incredibly-proud-and-full-of-envy-58658">Leicester City’s unexpected</a> premier league win. Sociologist John Williams joins us from Leicester to discuss the significance.</p>
<p>We also speak with Victoria Anderson, an expert in folklore and fairy tales, about the history and cultural origins of the underdog idea. From Greek mythology to Cinderella, what are the roots of the underdog tale? </p>
<p>Back in the real world (or above it) we take a look at the underdogs in the space race. It’s rare to consider China or India as minnows, but when it comes to space exploration they are the new kids on the block, with budgets that pale in comparison to NASA’s or even Russia’s. Space scientist Monica Grady and expert in space policy Jill Stuart talk us through how the newcomers are trying to disrupt the status quo.</p>
<p>And we hear the David and Goliath story of public health versus the tobacco industry. It may surprise you to hear that it took decades for the idea that smoking causes cancer to be accepted among doctors and the general public. Karen Evans-Reeves and Brendan Clarke help us understand why scientific evidence sometimes struggles against other powers. </p>
<p>To cap things off, conservationist Rob Young tells us about his favourite underdog animal – the northern muriqui monkey – and its unconventional way of surviving the Brazilian jungle. </p>
<hr>
<p><em>The Anthill theme music is by <a href="http://www.melodyloops.com/search/How+to+Steal+a+Million+Dollars/">Alex Grey for Melody Loops</a>. Background music during the fairytale segment by Kevin MacLeod via <a href="http://incompetech.com">Incompetech</a>. “The Blue Danube” by Johann Strauss comes from <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Strauss,_An_der_sch%C3%B6nen_blauen_Donau.ogg">Musopen</a>. Brazilian music by <a href="http://www.freesound.org/people/zagi2/sounds/275228/">zagi2 via freesound.com</a></em> </p>
<p><em>A big thanks to City University London’s Department of Journalism for letting us use their studios.</em></p>
<p><em>This is the third episode of <a href="https://theconversation.com/uk/podcasts/the-anthill">The Anthill</a>. Click here to listen to our previous episodes <a href="https://theconversation.com/anthill-1-about-time-59355">About time</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/anthill-2-brexit-special-60581">Brexit</a>.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/62368/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
From football to the space race and folklore to the forest, here's why you should back the little guy.Annabel Bligh, Business & Economy Editor and Podcast Producer, The Conversation UKGemma Ware, Head of AudioLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/603322016-06-05T16:35:38Z2016-06-05T16:35:38ZLessons learnt from taking sides as a sociologist in unjust times<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/124955/original/image-20160602-23288-yhunrn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Gold miners appear after being trapped underground at a mine in Carltonville, west of Johannesburg. Managing their safety has been a major issue as South Africa has among the deepest and most dangerous mines.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Reuters/Siphiwe Sibeko </span></span></figcaption></figure><p>What role should sociologists play in situations of large-scale suffering and exploitation. Should they take sides and, if they do, on what grounds can such choices be justified?</p>
<p>I’m one with <a href="http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O88-GouldnerAlvinW.html">Alvin Gouldner</a> in saying that sociologists take sides on the basis of certain <a href="http://connection.ebscohost.com/c/articles/10434739/sociologist-as-partisan-sociology-welfare-state">value commitments</a>. But when sociologists go beyond the relative comfort of the classroom and engage with organisations outside the university they <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Three-Plays-Jean-Paul-Sartre-Respectful/dp/B000NUMNES">dirty their hands</a>, as philosopher <a href="http://www.iep.utm.edu/sartre-ex/">Jean Paul Satre</a> famously said.</p>
<p>This is the dilemma that lies at the heart of public sociology: how to square the circle between practical engagement with outside organisations, and a commitment by the sociologist to scholarship.</p>
<p>Two examples of public sociology undertaken in the 1980s during the apartheid period in South Africa come to mind. The interventions were undertaken in consultation with the newly formed National Union of Mineworkers <a href="http://num.org.za/About-Us/History">(NUM)</a>, a union of black mineworkers struggling for recognition from deeply hostile employers and a repressive state.</p>
<p>An investigation into underground safety on the gold mines represented the promise of public sociology. The research strengthened the union and prompted important policy reform.</p>
<p>But the second intervention, a study of the potential impact of <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2004869">migrant labour</a> on the spread of HIV/AIDS, highlighted the pitfalls of public sociology. It led to uncomfortable findings and tension between the researchers and the NUM.</p>
<h2>Historical background</h2>
<p>In January 1973 more than 100,000 workers unexpectedly <a href="http://www.sahistory.org.za/article/1973-durban-strikes">went out on strike</a> in the coastal city of Durban, shattering a decade of industrial acquiescence. The strikes triggered a process of widening worker unrest and rapid union growth among black workers.</p>
<p>To understand and contribute to the development of this emerging social movement, a new generation of sociologists took sides and identified with the unorganised <a href="http://pdfproc.lib.msu.edu/?file=/DMC/African%20Journals/pdfs/transformation/tran018/tran018013.pdf">black workers</a>. One of the outcomes was the establishment of a research institute attached to the Department of Sociology at the University of the Witwatersrand, the Sociology of Work Programme <a href="http://www.wits.ac.za/swop/">(SWOP)</a>.</p>
<p>SWOP decided to partner with the recently formed NUM and focus research on the critical issue of health and safety in South Africa’s deep-level gold mines.</p>
<h2>Safety on gold mines</h2>
<p>The high accident rate on the gold mines is linked to <a href="http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2007/11/071106-africa-mine.html">the exceptional depths</a> at which extraction of gold takes place in South Africa. In 1983, the year we began our research, 371 miners were killed by rockfalls. Between 1900 and 1985, 66,000 miners died underground and more than a million were seriously injured.</p>
<p>In September 1983 a dispute occurred at West Driefontein mine when workers refused to work under dangerous conditions and were dismissed. This triggered a request to SWOP to undertake research on safer underground mining.</p>
<p>The report – “Towards Safer Underground Gold Mining: An Investigation” – commissioned by the NUM, was completed by Dr Jean Leger in 1985. It is available in hard copy from <a href="http://www.wits.ac.za/swop/">SWOP</a>. There were a number of crucial findings that demonstrated that black workers’ lives were being put at risk in white supervisors’ search for bonuses.</p>
<p>When both management and workers were invited to the policy dialogue on the report’s findings they took the event extremely seriously. The atmosphere was electric. It was the first time both sides had met each other face to face.</p>
<p>Management was visibly angry with the findings and felt its managerial prerogative was being unfairly challenged by a biased research report. The union was delighted with the event. It had forced management to engage publicly on a central issue in its recruitment campaign.</p>
<p>A campaign was launched around the slogan: “The right to refuse to work in dangerous conditions”. It was a great success. The union expanded rapidly and was at the time described as the largest in the country.</p>
<p>The research contributed in post-apartheid South Africa to an amendment to the Mine Health and Safety <a href="http://www.acts.co.za/mine-health-and-safety-act-1996/index.html">Act of 1996</a>, which allows for the right to refuse to work in dangerous conditions.</p>
<h2>Tackling HIV and AIDS</h2>
<p>The second intervention was on HIV and AIDS. A key feature of mining in South Africa is the system of migrant labour for black workers. Men come from all over southern African to work on a contract.</p>
<p>At the time most were housed in single-sex hostels. A system of casual sex and sex work developed in the townships and shack dwellings around the mines.</p>
<p>In the mid-1980s in South Africa, once one had AIDS, death was inevitable. There were only 100 cases of AIDS in the country. But we saw a potential danger as HIV, transmitted mainly through unsafe sex, could spread rapidly in the mining industry and beyond, to the rural villages where miners came from. We decided to embark on research in a gold mine in the city of Welkom in the Free State Province, at that time the centre of the gold mining industry.</p>
<p>Our research team interviewed women who operated on the outskirts of the mine and the men who frequented them. The local branch of the NUM had offered help but when our research team arrived, no-one was keen to arrange interviews. The women who lived around the mines were more cooperative.</p>
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<p>When officials at the head office of the NUM saw the first draft of the report they were <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2004869">deeply disturbed</a>. It <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2004869">suggested</a> that the system of migrant labour had created a market for the rapid spread of HIV/AIDS as the miners practised unprotected sex with multiple partners.</p>
<p>The report predicted an AIDs pandemic in South Africa and the region. It recommended that the NUM introduce a systematic educational programme on safe sex, provide its members with condoms, and campaign for the abolition of the migrant labour system so men could live with their partners and their families.</p>
<p>When the then NUM general secretary, Cyril Ramaphosa, first saw the report he was outraged. He demanded that we not publish it. He accused the researchers and SWOP of racism as the report, he said, was pathologising the sexuality of black men. We insisted on grounds of academic freedom that the research be published. Today <a href="http://www.thepresidency.gov.za/pebble.asp?relid=17464">Ramaphosa</a> is deputy president of South Africa and chairs the South African National AIDS <a href="http://sanac.org.za/">Council</a>, which drives the fight against HIV/AIDS in the country.</p>
<p>Careful negotiations took place between the NUM and SWOP over the presentation and publication of the research. We finally reached a compromise: we would moderate the language of the report and the findings would be published in an academic journal abroad but not in South Africa.</p>
<h2>Pitfalls and opportunities</h2>
<p>Reflecting on these two case studies, it is clear that the underground safety study was more successful both in terms of its impact on policy and in empowering mineworkers to challenge despotic control in the <a href="http://pdfproc.lib.msu.edu/?file=/DMC/African%20Journals/pdfs/transformation/tran020/tran020003.pdf">workplace</a>.</p>
<p>The HIV/AIDS study, on the other hand, was conceived by <a href="https://act.oxfam.org/canada">Oxfam Canada</a> and was not commissioned by the NUM. It became a source of conflict between the researchers and the NUM because it touched on a deeply sensitive issue within the black community.</p>
<p>We were not sufficiently sensitive to this at the time. The controversial nature of race and sexuality in a colonial context became clearer when, a decade later, President Thabo Mbeki articulated it as part of his argument that there was no relationship between <a href="http://www.health24.com/Medical/HIV-AIDS/Different-political-stances/mbeki-still-believes-his-own-aids-propaganda-20160307">HIV and AIDS</a>.</p>
<p>Gouldner emphasised public sociology’s ability to discover new information often hidden from mainstream sociology.</p>
<blockquote>
<p>A feelingful commitment to the underdog’s plight enables us to do a <a href="http://lists.lib.mmu.ac.uk/items/D4CCB7AB-1ED0-9944-45DE-680BC159A9DD.html">better job as sociologists</a>.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>It also, Gouldner continued, made the suffering of the underdog “<a href="http://lists.lib.mmu.ac.uk/items/D4CCB7AB-1ED0-9944-45DE-680BC159A9DD.html">naked and visible</a>” to the public.</p>
<p>But there are also many pitfalls in the practice of public sociology. It can lead to a lack of analytical distance from the <a href="http://www.amphibiousaccounts.org/files/archivos/amphibioussociology.pdf">research subjects</a>. The greatest pitfall is the threat to the autonomy of the academic. But in taking sides and insisting on public engagement I believe we were being faithful to the values that underlie the sociological vocation.</p>
<p><em>This is a shortened, edited version of a chapter to be published in an upcoming volume on public sociology.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/60332/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Edward Webster does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>When sociologists, driven by their value commitments, go beyond the relative comfort of the classroom and engage with organisations outside the university, they dirty their hands.Edward Webster, Professor Emeritus, Society, Work and Development Institute, University of the WitwatersrandLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.