Soc Sprt Phys Culture

Catalog description

(PS) To some, sport and physical culture seem to exist outside of society - somehow removed from the political, social, and cultural issues that shape our daily lives. This course seeks to challenge that separation: instead arguing that sport and physical culture are deeply intertwined with the values of our current socio-political moment. This course will ask you to think critically about a topic you may have taken for granted. From the local sporting experiences of high school athletes to the giant spectacles of the OIympics, we will investigate and interrogate the often overlooked exceptionalism of sport and physical culture. In the first module we will lay out the contemporary landscape of sport and physical culture and examine the ideologies, philosophies, and assumptions that we bring to these spaces. In the second module, we will explore the social construction of individual identities and groups, and how those groups both create, and are created by, their involvements in sport and physical activity. Finally, we will explore sport and physical activity's power to bring diverse groups together, and examine the ways in which that can be used for equitable and inequitable practices. As we delve into the complexities of sport and physical culture, you will take on the role of a potential agent of change. How can you, within your current and future spheres of power, help make sport and physical culture better for everyone?