AIS: Sport, Faith, and Social Change.

Catalog description

Sport and athletes have often been agents of social change, at times challenging norms and assumptions concerning identity, personhood, gender, race, and sexuality. In this class, we will examine how sport and moments in sport history has served as a public stage to perform dramas of social change leading to larger movement activities that impacted culture. Students will apply theories and explore research of mediated sports events to understand their impact and gain perspectives on how sports may be exploited to enact social change. This class will examine sport in three dimensions: as an artifact of our society and mediated history; as an arena where social, cultural, and political issues are contested; and as a vehicle for spiritual reflection and growth. We will examine how we can encounter the Holy in the midst of sports and its impact on developing a critical assessment of one's values.