History of Sport in the Modern World

Catalog description

History of sport in modern world, ca. A.D. 1500 to present; concentrates on role of sport in societies outside United States. KINES 446 History of Sport in the Modern World (3) (IL) The History of Sport in the Modern World introduces students to the connections between sporting practices and the broader cultural, political, intellectual and economic patterns that shape societies during the modern period in world history (ca. A.D. 1500 to the present). The course begins with a foray into the transition from traditional to modern forms of sport and society and covers the development of a wide variety of athletic games and pastimes from the sixteenth through twentieth centuries. Students will encounter a variety of historic conceptions of sport and explore the role of sport in the development of European, North American, Latin American, Asian, African and Pacific cultures. Students will learn how sports have been shaped by and have shaped by multiple factors, including modern ideas, science, class structures, gender roles, constructions of race, urbanization, nationalism, political conflicts, international relations, and economic institutions.This is a senior-level course that fills an important historical gap in the Kinesiology Department's sequence of offerings on the history of sport. Other courses in the sequence cover ancient sport, sport in American society, and the Olympic Games. While crucial American developments that impact sports in the modern world are incorporated into this course, this class offers students a global focus that concentrates on the role of sport in societies beyond the borders of the United States. This course also relates to the offerings in the philosophy of sport program by exploring the history of ideas about sport in modern thought. Additionally, the course connects to the science-based offerings in Kinesiology by providing students with and introduction to the history of the scientific study of human performance.The course introduces students to basic readings and knowledge of the history of sport in the modern world. The class provides opportunities to practice the critical reading and thinking techniques that shape the historian's approach to knowledge. This course will be taught once every year with an anticipated enrollment of 50 students. Evaluation methods that test reading and critical thinking skills are employed. No special facilities are required.