ClassInfo

Think about all the places you encounter sport. You may participate in sport as an athlete, a coach, or a fan, but you may also see sport in media broadcasts, schools, child development recommendations, health advice, workplace smalltalk, or political language. Even if just through the sport metaphors common in business or politics, all of you will encounter sport through direct participation, spectatorship, or commentary at some point in your lives.

Whether you are new to sociology or not, through this course you will sharpen your sociological ability to evaluate sport in your own life and in our culture at large. Sport is a powerful and paradoxical social institution, and therefore a place where we can see the tensions that define sociology -- tensions between biography and history, agency and structure, social reproduction and social change. In general, how does society impact how sport is played, who has access, and the meanings we attach to sport, and how does sport in turn shape society through understandings of culture, identity, and politics?

We'll explore sport, culture and society via three units:

In unit 1, Linking Sport and Culture, we will develop the theoretical tools for the rest of class and look at how sport, especially school sport, creates (classed) habits, skills, and dispositions.

In unit 2, Sport as Contested Terrain, we will consider how sport helps to define and redefine the cultural categories of sex, gender, and sexuality.

In unit 3, Sport, Race, and Social Change, we will examine the role of sport and athletes in social movements.

The two main assessments -- a final reflection paper and a presentation project on a sport & society topic of your choosing -- emphasize your ability to apply sociological thinking to sport content. We will practice along the way through class discussion and online discussion boards, and scaffolding memos will provide additional practice and feedback as you work on the assessments.