Expand+SMGT10060 Sociology of Sport
Academic Year 2022/2023

This module examines the emergence of modern sport and interprets its role in contemporary Western cultures. Different forms of sporting and leisure practices have been present in every society...

Hide-SMGT10060 Sociology of Sport
Academic Year 2022/2023

This module examines the emergence of modern sport and interprets its role in contemporary Western cultures. Different forms of sporting and leisure practices have been present in every society from the ancient world through to the present, and this course looks specifically at Western modern sport since its inception in the nineteenth century. Issues that affect sport, including race, gender, politics, nationalism, economics, class and the media, are systematically explored to introduce students to the study of sport and leisure, as well as to contribute to an understanding of modern sport as a socially, politically and historically constructed phenomenon.

Learning Outcomes:
Upon completion of this module you should be able to:

(i) trace the main developmental trends in modern sport and leisure activities;
(ii) locate the development of sport and leisure within a broader global context;
(iii) recognise the socially constructed nature of sport and leisure in Western societies;
(iv) understand the role of sport and leisure in the construction, and reinforcement, of social identities;
(v) identify the impact of commercialism and politics on the conduct of sport.

Indicative Module Content:
1. Why study the sociology of sport?
2. Theoretical perspectives in sociology.
3. Socialisation.
4. Social class.
5. Power.
6. The body and embodiment.
7. Gender.
8. Race and ethnicity.
9. Violence.
10. Media.
11. Globalisation.