Fall 2024  |  SOC 4451 Section 001: Sport, Culture & Society (32298)

Instructor(s)
Class Component:
Lecture
Credits:
3 Credits
Grading Basis:
A-F or Audit
Instructor Consent:
No Special Consent Required
Instruction Mode:
In Person
Times and Locations:
Regular Academic Session
 
09/03/2024 - 12/11/2024
Tue, Thu 11:15AM - 12:30PM
UMTC, West Bank
Blegen Hall 120
Enrollment Status:
Open (14 of 55 seats filled)
Also Offered:
Course Catalog Description:
This course is intended to stimulate critical, sociological thinking about sport? how it is socially organized, who participates in what and why, what role (or roles) sport plays in society, and what sporting practices tell us about contemporary social life more generally. It begins from and is grounded in the notion that sport is one of the most powerful and paradoxical institutions in the modern world. The course is intended for a wide range of undergraduates, though some familiarity with basic social scientific thinking and techniques will be helpful. prereq: SOC 1001 recommended, Sociology majors/minors must register A-F
Class Notes:
Click this link for more detailed information: http://classinfo.umn.edu/?hartm021+SOC4451+Fall2024
Class Description:
This course is intended to stimulate critical, sociological thinking about sport - how it is socially organized, what role (or roles) it plays in society, and what sporting practices tell us about contemporary social life more generally. It begins from and is grounded in the notion that sport is one of the most powerful, paradoxical, and poorly understood institutions in the modern world. The first unit of the course provides a theoretical framework and broad historical context for making social sense of these paradoxes and of the phenomenon of sport itself. The second unit then explores what it is like to "play" various sports, the determinants of participation and success, and the general impacts of such involvement. The second half of the course involves two main units. The first is the culture and political economy of elite-entertainment sport; the second involves issues of protest, politics, and social change in and through sport, focused on issues of race, racism, and racial justice. Together, these units are intended to capture the basic structure, function, and broad social significance of a cultural form that is too often naively celebrated, trivialized, or simply dismissed by both scholarly and public audiences alike. Readings will include two books (Friday Night Lights by H.G. Bissinger and Soccer in Mind by Andrew Guest) as well as a collection of articles and book chapters.
Who Should Take This Class?:
sociology majors are encouraged but the course readings, lectures, and discussions should be accessible to all college students
Grading:
--2 Midterm Exams: 40% (20 % each)
--quizzes and class participation: 20%
--2 short essays: 20% (10 % each)
--final course project on topic of choice: 20%
Exam Format:
2 in-class midterms; terms and definitions, MC, and one or two short essays
Class Format:
40% Lecture
15% Film/Video
25% Discussion
10% Small Group Activities
10% Guest Speakers
Workload:
--around 50-75 pages of reading per week (generally 2-3 articles or book chapters)
--12 pages of writing for the term (2 short essays, 1 slightly longer final paper)
--2 midterm examinations
--occasional quizes and group activities
Textbooks:
https://bookstores.umn.edu/course-lookup/32298/1249
Instructor Supplied Information Last Updated:
2 April 2024

ClassInfo Links - Fall 2024 Sociology Classes

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