Honors Theses
Date of Award
Spring 5-7-2026
Document Type
Undergraduate Thesis
Department
Liberal Studies
First Advisor
Ryan Parsons
Second Advisor
Charles Walter
Third Advisor
John Mcdermott
Relational Format
Dissertation/Thesis
Abstract
This thesis concerns the area of sociology. Specifically, it is a sociological study of a community on Ole Miss’s campus and how they form what is known within the sociology field as a “cosmopolitan canopy,” a term coined by Elijah Anderson. Using this term, I proceed to prove not only how the Ole Miss Esports club falls under this jurisdiction, but the effects of esports on the youth as a whole, both positive and negative. All of my data was extracted via literature review, online research, note-taking, visual observation, and one-on-one interviews with people involved with the club. The entire process has taken two years, with my first round of interviews occurring last fall and my note-taking beginning in late sophomore year. With this said, I do at times refer to events that I witnessed in the club during my freshman year, so to be technical, this project is four years in the making and has taken a considerable amount of time, effort, and commitment to bring to light. This combination of methods gave me an incredibly wide range of forms to gather information on the relevant subjects and settings for my thesis. During my research, I found that while Ole Miss is considered a “white space,” it has still managed to nurture several of these “canopies” for marginalized communities. Due to the diverse population and semi-toxic culture of gaming, the Esports Cosmopolitan Canopy is a constant source of conflict, mostly minor. Despite these conflicts, it remains a constant source of learning and understanding. With each conflict, the population learns and grows beyond trivial differences and ignorance, resulting in a socially self-healing setting. In conclusion, Esports is a growing industry that can be wielded in a way to provide a crucial service for the community at large, and I hope that while reading this thesis, my readers come to realize the same!
Recommended Citation
Hicks, Reice, "Esports Cosmopolitan Canopy" (2026). Honors Theses. 3487.
https://egrove.olemiss.edu/hon_thesis/3487
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