Analysis of sport as social institution, its structure and functions; male-female role contrasts, race and sport; economics of sport; the roles of coach, athlete, fan--their interrelationships and complexities; current turmoil in sport and the ideological struggle which has emerged.

A sociological investigation of sport involves, to paraphrase Pierre Bourdieu, explaining the "supply" of sports that exists at any given time (what sports we play, who plays them, where stadiums and arenas come from, and more) and the "demand" that exists at any given time (e.g., who watches sports, which sports are popular, what makes a sport popular, whether sports is a communal obligation for spectators or a form of consumer entertainment). The central theme of this course is that the way sports supply and demand get constructed embody inequalities that are invisible precisely because we tend to think that sports just "are". We will consider a range of topics organized into four major themes: 1) the limits of meritocracy in sports (e.g., how race and gender shape who plays); 2) the tension between commercialism and anti-commercialism (e.g., the Olympics, and even more familiarly college sports); 3) the role of geographic territory (e.g., where does the institution of the "home team" come from?); and 4) a critical examination of deviance in sports (e.g., where do the rules against politics or PED use come from and what exactly are they protecting us from?). … NOTE: Course is open to all, but non-sociology majors must wait until Phase 2 to enroll as per departmental policy.

Repeat Rules

Course is not repeatable for credit.

Requirements class fulfills