Course Syllabus
SOCL 266 - Sport and Society
Spring 2007
Class: MWF 11:00,
Beaven 118
Instructor: Royce A.
Singleton, Jr.
Office
Hours: W 2:15‑4:15, TR 8:30-10, or by appointment, Beaven 224
e‑mail:
rsinglet@holycross.edu
Course Web
site: http://www.holycross.edu/departments/socant/rsinglet/sport.htm
Course Description
Sport and society is a course in the
sociology of sport. Perhaps the most compelling
reason for the sociological study of sport is its pervasiveness. Sport sociologist D. Stanley Eitzen suggests
just how pervasive it is in American society (Fair and Foul, 2nd ed., pp. 3-4):
Participation rates are high. Most children are involved in organized sport
at some time in their lives. Sport is
the subject of much conversation, reading material, leisure activity, and
discretionary spending. Over one-tenth
of the World Almanac is devoted
annually to sport, more than is allotted to politics, business, and
science. USA Today, the most widely read newspaper in the
As Eitzen further points out, sports fans know a
great deal about sports from following their favorite teams and athletes in the
media. They know about point spreads,
statistics, and biographical information on athletes and coaches. As children, many of us learned sports
information, memorizing incredible amounts of trivia. Moreover, most of us play sports, as
individuals or on teams, throughout our lives.
Yet many fans and participants have a superficial, uncritical attitude
toward sport. They cannot separate the
hype from the reality. They don’t
question the way that sport is organized.
Sociologists are prone to examine all social
arrangements critically. Thus, this
course will address questions such as: How does sport really work? Who has power and who does not? Who benefits under the existing social
arrangements and who does not? These
types of questions scrutinize conventional ideas and official dogma; the
answers should enable you to truly understand sports as social phenomena.
Course
Format
We will use a combination of
readings, films, papers, class discussions, and debates to accomplish course
objectives. Class sessions will involve
primarily the discussion and application of assigned readings. I assume that you and I, students and
instructor, share the responsibility for making this class a successful
learning experience. To contribute to
and get the maximum benefit from class discussions, it is important that you
attend class regularly and come prepared.
If you haven’t completed the assigned reading before class, then class
discussions are likely to be vague and one‑sided. It is also important to realize the
importance of two‑way communication: the flow of information should be
among two or more persons, not simply from one person to another. In other words, we need to respond to what
others, including the instructor, have to say. Stephen Carter, a Yale law
professor, notes that he doesn’t always agree with his students’ views, nor
they with his. But one of the reasons
for teaching is to enable his students to differ from him, and to discuss the
differences. As he says (Reflections of an Affirmative Baby, p.
100),
only by reasoning together will we advance human knowledge. As a law student . . . I defended my instinct . . . by insisting that I had as much right to criticize the views of others as they had to express them. As a teacher, I maintain the same view, so I feel free, even obliged, to dispute with my students, and I hope they feel the same about me.
Course Requirements
Your grade will be determined as
follows:
10% -- Participation in class discussions
25% -- Weekly quizzes
25% -- Two required papers (first paper 10%; second
paper 15%)
15% -- Participation in one of four debates OR
third paper
25% -- Comprehensive final examination
About every fourth class meeting
(see class schedule below), you will be quizzed on the assigned reading. The quizzes will take the place of a midterm
examination and also serve as a further inducement to keep up with the reading. You may not make up a quiz unless there is
considerable justification for your class absence, but you may drop your lowest
quiz grade.
The two required papers involve
critical applications of the reading.
For each assignment, you may choose one of two related topics (a
or b), as outlined below. Papers are due
at the beginning of the class period and will be discussed in class on the date
they are due.
1. Definition and Analysis of Sport. (a) Although Coakley offers his own definition of
sport, he also describes another approach to the study of sport that does not
rely on a single definition, but rather sees sports as “contested activities.” Using the case of Casey Martin v. PGA Tour, carefully explain how sports are
contested activities. (b) Select one of
the four main theoretical perspectives outlined by Coakley (Functionalism,
Conflict Theory, Interactionism, Critical Theory) and carefully explain how you
would analyze the Martin v. PGA case
from that perspective. (2-3 pages, 11-12
point font, double-spaced, one-inch margins)
Due date: Jan. 26
2. Sports and Socialization. (a) Think
back to your earliest experiences of playing physical games and sports and
describe when they occurred, the context in which they occurred, and what was
going on in your life as they occurred.
How were those early experiences related to your gender, age, social
class, race or ethnicity, family, and neighborhood or community? (b) Coakley and White (“Making Decisions”)
found that, for high school students in
Most students in the class will be
assigned to a 3-member debate team that will defend one side—yes or no—of
answers to one of four questions listed below.
To prepare for the debate, team members must meet together to organize
their argument and presentation. You
also must consult references in addition to the assigned reading to see how the
question has been answered by social scientists and social commentators. Finally, following the debate, you must
submit an outline of your individual presentation and an evaluation of your
team members’ preparation and the effectiveness of the team’s presentation.
1. Is Title IX unfair to men’s sports?
2. Is African American athletic success harmful to African
American youth?
3. Do varsity sports programs contribute to the educational
mission of colleges?
4. Should public funds be used to build stadiums and
arenas for professional sport teams?
Because of the relatively large
class size, everyone cannot participate in a debate; therefore, instead of a
debate, you may have the option of writing and presenting the following paper.
3. Sports in College. Either talk with a fellow
student at Holy Cross who is an intercollegiate athlete or think about your own
experiences as an intercollegiate athlete.
Now talk with someone who is not an intercollegiate athlete or rely on
your own experiences as a non-athlete.
Compare the experiences of you and your interviewee with respect to your
academic and social lives. Why did you
choose to come to Holy Cross? Why did you
choose your major and how do you select courses? How do you feel about your academic
experience and performance? What are you
are planning to do when you graduate? What
do you do outside class? What is your
social life like? What factors have
influenced these choices and experiences?
(4-6 pages) Due date: March 30
A Note on
Academic Honesty
Holy Cross is an educational
community based on honesty and trust. As
a faculty member, I assume that the work you present in class, on papers, and
on examinations is your own. As a student,
you are responsible for reading and knowing the College Policy on Academic
Honesty, as stated in the College Catalog
(pages 12-14), which defines plagiarism, cheating, and collusion.
Required Books
Coakley, Jay
J., Sports in Society: Issues and Controversies,
9th ed.,
Kessler,
Lauren, Full Court Press: A Season in the
Life of a Winning Basketball Team and the Women Who Made It Happen,
Reserve
Bowen,
William G. and Sarah A. Levin, “Revisiting ‘The Game of Life’: Athletes at
Elite Colleges,” Chronicle of Higher
Education, Vol.
50 Issue 4,
Bryant, Howard, “Epilogue” in
Juicing the Game: Drugs, Power, and the
Fight for the Soul of Major League Baseball,
Cahill, Ann
J., “Sports,” ch. 6 in Women on the Hill:
Alumnae Reflect on Twenty Years at Holy Cross, 1972‑1992,
Chambliss,
Daniel F., “The Mundanity of Excellence: An Ethnographic Report on
Stratification and Olympic Swimmers,” Sociological
Theory, Vol. 7, 1989, pp. 70-86.
Coakley, Jay
and Anita White, “Making Decisions: How Young People Become Involved and Stay
Involved in Sports,” ch. 7 in Jay Coakley and Peter Donnelly, eds., Inside Sports,
Fine, Gary
Alan, “The Effects of Little League Baseball,” Appendix I in With the Boys: Little League Baseball and
Preadolescent Culture,
Menand,
Louis, “Sporting Chances: The Cost of College Athletics,” New Yorker, Vol. 76, Issue 43,
Rhoden,
William C., “Introduction” and “Epilogue” in Forty Million Dollar Slaves: The Rise, Fall, and Redemption of the
Black Athlete,
Ryan, Joan, “Introduction,”
Little Girls in Pretty Boxes: The Making
and Breaking of Elite Gymnasts and Figure Skaters,
Shermer,
Michael, “Blood, Sweat, and Fears: Why Some Black Athletes Dominate Some Sports
and What It Really Means,” Skeptic,
Vol. 8, No. 1, 2000, pp. 44-50.
Course Outline
Date
|
|
Topic/ Discussion
Questions |
Activities/Assignments |
|
1/17 |
|
Course overview.
Myths and paradoxes of sport.
How is sport inherently contradictory? |
|
|
19 |
Chambliss |
Sports and excellence. What produces excellence in sports? How can the theory of sports excellence be
applied to excellence in academics? |
|
|
22 |
C 1 |
The sociological study of sport. What is the difference between the
sociology and the psychology of sport?
How do sports differ from play, recreation, and games? |
|
|
24 |
C 2 |
Social theory applied to sport. What sport issues does each theoretical
perspective address? How would each perspective
analyze the Summer Olympic Games? |
Quiz #1 |
|
26 |
|
What does the Casey
Martin v. PGA case reveal about the definition of sport? How would each major theoretical
perspective analyze the case? |
Paper #1 |
|
29 |
C 3 |
History of sport.
How have the images of male athletes and female athletes changed in
the last half century? |
Film: “Playing the Field: Sports and Sex in |
|
31 |
|
What does history tell us about sports? How have sports changed throughout human
history and how have they remained the same? |
|
|
2/2 |
C 4 |
Socialization into sports. What factors influence participation in
organized sports? |
Quiz #2 |
|
5 |
|
Socialization via sports. Do sports build character? If not, why do people believe that they
do? |
|
|
7 |
|
Youth sport experiences. |
Film:”Playing to Extremes” |
|
9 |
C 5 |
Sports and children. How do children’s experiences in organized
sports differ from their experiences in informal sports? Which is more valuable for their development? |
|
|
12 |
Fine, Ryan |
What are the responsibilities of adults who work
with young athletes? What are the
effects of Little League Baseball? |
Quiz #3 |
|
14 |
Coakley & White |
The social context of sports participation. How do people become involved, stay
involved, and change or end their involvement in sports? |
Paper #2 |
Date
|
|
Topic/ Discussion
Questions |
Activities/Assignments |
|
2/16 |
C 6 |
Deviance and sports. What is the sport ethic? Must you be deviant to excel in sports? |
|
|
19 |
Bryant |
Substance
use in sports. How is it a problem and
what should be done about it? |
Film:
“Winning at Any Cost: The Drug Culture in Sports” |
|
21 |
C 7 |
Violence and sports. Is there a connection between sports and
violence in society? |
Quiz #4 |
|
23 |
|
Gender and sports. |
Film: “On the Basis of Sex: The |
|
26 |
C 8; Cahill |
Gender equity in sports. Has Title IX been implemented effectively? |
|
|
28 |
|
Is Title IX unfair to men’s sports? |
Debate #1 |
|
3/2 |
Kessler, chs. 1-7 |
Gender issues in sports. How are participation issues related to
ideological and structural issues? |
|
|
SPRING BREAK |
|||
|
12 |
Kessler 8-14 |
Women’s sports experiences. What does it mean to “coach like a man” and
to “coach like a woman”? Are women’s
sports becoming more like men’s sports? |
Quiz #5 |
|
14 |
C 9 |
Race and sports. |
Film: “Black Athletes: Fact and Fiction” |
|
16 |
Shermer |
Why do African Americans dominate sports? |
|
|
19 |
C 10 |
The Racial Report Card. What is the current evidence on racial
discrimination in sports? |
Quiz #6 |
|
21 |
Rhoden |
Is African American athletic success harmful to
African American youth? |
Debate #2 |
|
23 |
C 14 |
Sports in high school. |
Film: “Do Jocks Rule the School?” |
|
26 |
Menand |
Sports in college.
What are the major problems with intercollegiate athletics today? |
|
|
28 |
Bowen and Levin |
Intercollegiate athletes at selective colleges and
universities: Is there an athletic
divide? |
|
|
30 |
|
Comparing the college experiences of varsity
athletes and other students. |
Quiz #7; Paper #3 |
|
4/2 |
|
Do varsity sports programs contribute to the
educational mission of colleges? |
Debate #3 |
|
4 |
|
Have sports changed as they have become
commercialized? |
Film: “The WWF and Vince McMahon” |
|
EASTER BREAK |
|||
Date
|
|
Topic/ Discussion
Questions |
Activities/Assignments |
|
4/11 |
C 11 |
Sports and the economy. Are pro athletes overpaid? |
|
|
13 |
|
Should public funds be used to build stadiums and
arenas for professional sports teams? |
Debate #4 |
|
16 |
C 12 |
Sports and the media. How is televised sport a “re-presented”
version of the event? |
Quiz #8 |
|
18 |
|
How are female athletics depicted in the media in
the post-Title IX era? |
Film: “The Media Image of the Female Athlete” |
|
20 |
C 13 |
Sports, politics, and the state. Should the Olympic Games be changed to
control nationalism and commercialism? |
|
|
23 |
|
The globalization of sports. |
|
|
25 |
C 15 |
Sports and religion. Does combining sports with religion change
athletes or sports? |
Quiz #9 |
|
27 |
|
Overview of the course |
|
|
30 |
C 16 |
Sports and the future. What can we expect? |
|