Critical Perspectives on Sports
Sports operate as primary cultural institutions in communities throughout the world. This course will offer a critical investigation of the social and cultural impact of sports in the contemporary era. The cultures of sport shape communities and identities as important social and cultural institutions where beliefs, values, and ideas are inculcated through competition. As a social institution, sports also work to reinforce and shape ideologies around gender, sexuality, race, and nation. This course will detail how sports reflect and shape inequalities and differences in the United States. We will cover important topics in the cultural studies of sport, including gender disparities, racial representations, commercialization, and sport in educational institutions. Students will receive an introduction to ethnographic methods in American Studies, including interview, participant observation, social mapping, and qualitative data analysis. (Not open to students who have taken AMST 1003) 3 hrs. lect. NOR, SOC (R. Joo)