WILFRID LAURIER UNIVERSITY Department of Kinesiology and Physical Education
KP211: Sociology of Physical Activity Room: Alvin Woods 3-105 Time: M/W/F 10:30-11:20
Instructor: Dr. Rob J. Lake Office: BA 519 Tel: (519) 884-0710 ext. 4773 Email: [email protected] Office hours: Mon 2:30-4:30 or by appointment
Teaching Assistant: Meghan Hoefs Email: [email protected]
Course Description
The aim of this course is to teach students to think critically about sport and leisure in contemporary society. Students will be introduced to broad sociological themes that can be examined using sport as a lens to view society, such as social class, gender and racial inequality alongside a wide range of historically-rooted sporting ‘issues’, such as violence, cheating, doping and corruption. Students will be encouraged to question the typical ‘positive’ understandings of sport and engage critically with discussions centred on sporting ideologies, e.g. playing through pain, win at all costs, masculinity, etc. Mainstream theoretical frameworks will be introduced and applied to shed light on aspects of sport often hidden from view. The main goal here is to challenge the idea of sport and leisure as innocuous pursuits, but to consider their social, cultural, political and economic significance, and sport’s rise to significance in our present globalised and commercialised society.
Reading
This course has the following core text, available to purchase at the WLU Bookstore: Coakley, J. & Donnelly, P. (2009). Sport and Society: Issues and Controversies. (2nd Canadian edition). Toronto: McGraw-Hill Ryerson. Further weekly readings will be set each week, and geared toward the following week’s lecture. They will help inform students of lecture content, and will be tested on for the midterms.
Assessments
Mid-term exams (multiple choice and short answer): 40% (20% each)
These will take place on the Monday and Wednesday classes of week 10. We will try and have exams graded and feedback prepared by Friday or the following Monday 60-Second Takeovers (every Monday class from week 2 onwards): 20%
Our entire Monday class will be a student-led seminar, where students will bring to class their own carefully prepared and researched topics for discussion, and earn marks for their contributions to other people’s discussions. Students can talk about something they read in a newspaper, magazine or book, something they watched on TV or on the web, or even a conversation they had with someone. In class, students can spend 60 seconds each introducing a topic relevant to the sociology of sport, and also offering some insight into the issue. For example…
The other day I saw this YouTube clip of this guy who jumped off a building and broke his ankle. It was horrible, but I couldn’t help but keep rewinding it over and over and over again, laughing about it with my buddies. Then we starting talking about hockey, and how the violence element in the sport is so appealing, and actually part of the reason why we Canadians love it so much. So I did some research using Google and I found out that a poll was taken by an independent research group in 2006 asking Canadians what they valued most in their lives. Top of the list was family; second was personal health; third was living in a safe environment. I couldn’t help wonder why they loved violence in hockey so much when it contradicted these values: kids who watch the violence will be affected negatively by it; the hockey players themselves can end up with serious health problems later in life; and the celebration of violence must go against the ideals espoused in a “safe” society. I am interested to know more about this. My questions to the group are: What does our violent hockey culture say about Canadians? Do you think our love of hockey and the violence in it has something to do with our past; how Canadians prided themselves on being hardy survivors, and now our success in hockey is like a way of keeping that pride and identity alive in the 21st century? Is there something wrong with loving violence in hockey? Should we try and remove it from the sport altogether given new research findings on head injuries and concussions?
Notes: Every student is expected to introduce several topics for discussion throughout the course, and also to contribute regularly to other discussions. 20% of your mark is allocated to this endeavour throughout the entire course.
Tips for doing well: The mark for this element is subjectively and qualitatively determined by me; marks are not given per discussion topic as it were. My advice would be that if you want to score highly in this element, you make yourself distinguishable. Sitting toward the front of class helps (you are perhaps less likely to get distracted and you also appear bigger that way!), as does getting involved in any class discussions when opportunities arise. Reading around the subject will greatly assist you. Simply, if you make an effort both in and outside of class, you will score highly; if you do not engage with the subject matter, contribute to discussions or present at all, you will not. Students will be assessed individually on: i) their efforts to research discussion topics, collate information and share it with the class; ii) the quality of their discussion comments and debating skills in their own and other students’ discussions; and, iii) their overall efforts and abilities to critically engage with relevant issues to do with sport in society. Group project - portfolio: 40%
Students are to work in small groups and submit a portfolio of work, which will include an analysis of journal articles, newspaper or other media articles, photographs and numerous other sources where appropriate. You are to use these sources as evidence for critical discussions.
Complete the following task:
With reference to numerous case studies and examples, discuss the ways in which modern sport has been shaped over time by the following key features: Globalised Commercialism: the gearing of sport to suit the requirements of commerce/business on a global scale Politics and Government: the use of sport as a political tool or governmental resource, on both a national and international scale Mass Media: The ubiquitous presence of sport in TV, film and online content, and the use of media to manipulate ideas and values in sport for the purposes of creating stories and transmitting certain messages
Students are to organize themselves into their own groups of between 4 and 6 members, delegate tasks to each member and produce a professional-looking but visually-stimulating final product. If you want to know how much work I expect from each student, consider what you would have to do for 40% of your other courses. There is no explicit word or page-limit, but I am looking for quality above quantity. I strongly encourage regular group-meetings with me, particularly in the final stages when I can give pointed and specific advice, and allow you to see previous projects to give you some ideas of my expectations.
Advice:
All answers must be rooted historically; consider the various changes that have occurred over time You must discuss ALL three of these areas, and it is imperative that you demonstrate an understanding of connections between each of these areas, and also how they link with class/exclusion, gender/sexuality, race/ethnicity/religion and national identity. Linking the various key topics in this course will impress me. Feel free to adopt any position or argument you like, so long as this is logically justified and supported by evidence and research. There are no right or wrong answers. Your grade will depend on the strength of the arguments made, based on detailed critical analysis, wide reading in and around the subject and a sound overall understanding of the topic areas. You are expected to utilise, refer to and reference numerous relevant academic sources (i.e. the work of sport sociologists and historians). Work that relies on just newspaper articles or websites or work without reference to any published academic material will score poorly! Use the discussion times on Mondays to introduce topics for discussion. Guidelines for Group-work Portfolio:
Students are to form themselves into groups of between 4 and 6 members, and to submit those names to me by Monday’s class in Week 3.
Choose carefully!
You are to submit ONE piece of work, which will be graded, based on the following criteria:
Strength of Argument (25%) Support from Literature (25%) Support from examples and case studies (25%) Creativity, Display, Presentation, Style and Professionalism (25%)
The final grade (out of 100) will be multiplied by the number of people in your group, and as a group, you will have to divide this grade between yourselves, presumably making this decision based on quality and quantity of input. Here’s an example: A group of 6 students submits a piece of work, which achieves a grade of 70. Your group would receive a score of 420 (i.e. 70 x 6), for you to divide between the six of you. If, for example, you come to a collective decision that one person (person ‘A’) deserves a higher grade than the others, you might divide it like this: o Person ‘A’ – 80 o Persons B, C, D, E & F – 68 o (68 x 5) + 80 = 420 If, on the other hand, person ‘A’ wasn’t quite so good, missed a few meetings and made less positive impact than the others, you might divide it like this: o Person ‘A’ – 60 o Persons B, C, D, E & F – 72 o (72 x 5) + 60 = 420 I will double-check all math equations, and also, but only as a last resort, act as mediator for any major group disagreements. I should stress, however, the onus is on you to work out any problems for yourselves. If there is evidence to suggest that a student’s input has been minimal to the point of non-existent, he/she will receive a grade of 0 and the grade will be multiplied by one less member. Lecture Schedule
Week number Lecture info Required readings Week 1: ‘Just a Bunch of Fun and Games’: An Introduction Coakley & Donnelly, chapters 1 & 2 Course Intro- to Critical Thinking about Physical Activity duction Course info, requirements and structure How do you define physical activity? Jan 6-10 What role does it play in our society? Structure and Agency; socialization and the ‘Sociological Imagination’ Week 2: ‘Sport is a Good Thing’: The Unfortunate Legacy of Wohl, A (1970). Competitive Sport and Sporting Functionalism Its Social Functions. International Ideologies Intro to the use of theory to understand Review for the Sociology of Sport 5, sport 117-130. Jan 13-17 Intro to Functionalist application to sport Lake. R. J. (2011). A Critique of Functionalist Values within Recent British Tennis Policy. International Sports Studies 32(2), 47-59. Week 3: ‘Power Relations at Work’: The Commodification of Sewart, J. (1987) The commodification Social Class Sport and Physical Activity of sport. International Review for the and Sport I The application of Karl Marx to sport: Sociology of Sport 22, 171-192. Bourgeoisie & Proletariat, exploitation, Budd, A. (2001). Capitalism, sport and Jan 20-24 false consciousness and alienation resistance: Reflections. Culture, Sport, Athletes as commodities Society 4(1), 1-18. Week 4: ‘Fitting in is hard to do’: Sport as an Exclusive Wilson, T. (2002). The paradox of Social Class Leisure Pursuit social class and sports involvement: and Sport II Pierre Bourdieu and subtle but pervasive The roles of cultural and economic forms of social distinction: Habitus, capital. International Review for the Jan 27-31 Cultural Capital and Sporting Taste Sociology of Sport 37(1), 5-16. Coakley & Donnelly, chapter 10 Week 5: Sport ‘Sport as a Male Preserve’: The Historical Struggle Mangan, J.A. (1989). The social and Feminist for Women’s Sporting Legitimation construction of Victorian femininity: Thought History of sport as created by men, for emancipation, education and exercise. men: What legacy? International Journal of the History Feb 3-7 The place of sport within 1st and 2nd-wave of Sport 6(1), 1-9. Spencer, N. (2000). Reading Between feminist struggles in North America and the Lines: A Discursive Analysis of the Western Europe Billie Jean King vs. Bobby Riggs “Battle of the Sexes”. Sociology of Sport Journal 17, 386-402. Week 6: ‘The Last Bastion of Gender Inequality?’: Why is Harris, J. (2005). The image problem Contem- Sport Still Marginalising, Undermining and in women’s football. Journal of Sport porary Issues Excluding Women? and Social Issues 29 (2), 184-197. of Gender in Media representations, ‘the image Coakley & Donnelly, chapter 8 Sport problem’, hetereonormativity and homophobia Feb 10-14 Power relations at play in men’s and women’s sport Week 7: No lectures this week!! Reading Week
Feb 17-21 Week 8: Sport, ‘It’s a Black Thing’: Sport and the Historical Politics Jarvie, G. & Reid, I. (1997). Race Race and of Race relations, sociology of sport and the National Globalisation processes and their aftermath new politics of race and racism. Identity I in sport Leisure Studies 16(4), 211-219 The comparative legacies of imperialism in Coakley & Donnelly, chapter 9 Feb 24-28 Olympics and Commonwealth Games Sport as a Tool for Racial Suppression and Liberation Week 9: ‘Hockey for Canucks, Baseball for Yanks, Soccer for Gitersos, T. (2009). “Les ‘frogs’ sont Sport, Race Limeys’: What Sport Means to our Collective menacés”: Media Representations of and National Identities the Nordiques and Canadiens, 1979– Identity II The role of sport in both tempering and 1981. Sport History Review 40, 69-81. reinforcing extreme nationalism: The case Jackson, S. J. & Ponic, P. (2001). Pride Mar 3-7 study of soccer in Northern Ireland and Prejudice: Reflecting on Sport Racial ‘stacking’, Anglophone and Heroes, National Identity, and Crisis in Francophone relations and national Canada, Culture, Sport, Society, 4(2), identity in Canadian sport 43-62. Week 10: Mid-terms, in 2 parts: Both exams will cover all the chapters Midterm Exam Part 1 (Mon): short answer questions in Coakley & Donnelly set so far, all Part 2 (Wed): multiple choice questions readings set so far and lecture notes Mar 10-14 Fri: Feedback session – must attend!! Week 11: ‘Money talks’: Sport as business in a globalised Smart, B. (2007). Not playing around: Sport, world global capitalism, modern sport and Globalization The roots of commercialism in modern consumer culture. Global Networks 7 and Commer- sport: sponsorship and product (2), 113-134. cialization endorsements Coakley & Donnelly, chapter 11 The homogenisation of sport forms as an Mar 17-21 outcome of globalisation processes Week 12: Sport ‘Sport and politics don’t mix’: The Politics of Sport Whitson, D. (2005). Olympic Hosting and Politics and Politics in Sport in Canada: Promotional Ambitions, Historical case studies: 1936 Nazi Games, Political Challenges. OLYMPIKA: The Mar 24-28 Cold War Sport, sport and reconciliation International Journal of Olympic Studies, XIV, 29-46. Coakley & Donnelly, chapter 13 Week 13: Sport ‘A symbiotic relationship?’: Sport and the Media in Angelini, J., Billings, A. & MacArthur, and the Media the 21st Century P. (2012). The Nationalistic Revolution Media and the commodification of sport Will Be Televised: The 2010 Vancouver Mar 31-Apr 4 Media narratives in sport and the Olympic Games on NBC. International reproduction of sexism, racist and Journal of Sport Communication 5(2) xenophobic discourses 193. Cooky, C., Messner, M.A. & Hextrum, Fri April 4: No class! Hand in final project to R.H. (2013). Women Play Sport, But my office, BA519 by 11.20am Not on TV: A Longitudinal Study of Televised News Media. Communication and Sport. Coakley & Donnelly, chapter 12
University Regulations and Procedures
1. Academic Integrity/Misconduct (cheating): Laurier is committed to a culture of integrity within and beyond the classroom. This culture values trustworthiness (i.e., honesty, integrity, reliability), fairness, caring, respect, responsibility and citizenship. Together, we have a shared responsibility to uphold this culture in our academic and nonacademic behaviour. The University has a defined policy with respect to academic misconduct. You are responsible for familiarizing yourself with this policy and the penalty guidelines, and are cautioned that in addition to failure in a course, a student may be suspended or expelled from the University for academic misconduct and the offence may appear on their transcript. The relevant policy can be found at Laurier's academic integrity website along with resources to educate and support you in upholding a culture of integrity. Ignorance of Laurier’s academic misconduct policy is not a defense.
Waterloo
My Regulations
Laptop Policy
Laptops are generally prohibited in this course, because I consider them to be a distraction for the students using them and also those sat nearby. However, if you believe that your academic performance will be unduly disadvantaged by not being able to use a laptop and can provide a compelling reason for this, please discuss the matter with me in person. All students granted leave to use a laptop in class will be required to sit away from other students so as not to distract them.
Mobile Phone Policy
All phones are to be shut off at the start of class, except if you have a dire emergency that you have to attend to, in which case you need to let me know at the start of class. Text messaging is absolutely prohibited during class times.
Late Work Policy
Work handed in late will be deducted 10% for each 24-hour period past the due date and time they are submitted.