Course

Sports are institutional, social, and cultural practices, created and sustained by people as they interact with others to organize and make sense of their lives. Sports not only reflect aspects of society but they also play a unique role in producing, reproducing and transforming society. Historical variations in the way sports are organized and viewed by society are related to issues of power and authority at particular points in time. Using sociological theoretical frameworks offers one the opportunity to see aspects of sports that are often hidden from view when studying the place and role of sport in society. Topics explored in this course include (but are not limited to) social theories, history of sport sociology, social inequalities, violence and social deviance, politics, globalization and economics, media, bioethics, religion and socialization.