Course Schedule and Catalog

Department: Sociology

Meeting: 10:50AM - 12:05PM TR (24-AUG-2026 - 4-DEC-2026) 

Part of Term: Full Term

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Lecture

Language of Instruction: Taught in English

Distribution Group: Distribution Group II

Method of Instruction: Face to Face

Credit Hours: 3

 

Section Max Enrollment: 49

Section Enrolled: 23

Waitlisted: 0 (Max 99) 

Current members of the waitlist have priority for available seats.

Enrollment data as of: 26-APR-2026 2:30PM

 

 

Final Exam: No Final Exam

 

Description: In this course students will examine sports as a dynamic social institution that reflects and actively shapes broader cultural dynamics, societal structures, and power relations. Drawing on foundational sociological concepts, we will analyze sports as microcosm of American society while also drawing from transnational and global examples to highlight comparative dynamics. Students will develop critical analytical skills to assess how sports offer pathways for personal and societal change. Key topics include the role of sports in identify formation; community building, race and ethnicity; the impact of sports on nationalism and national identity; cultural and social capital in access to and success within sports; the role of sports in fostering or exacerbating polarization and extremism; athlete activism as a form of social movement; interfaith dynamics and religious pluralism within athletic contexts; freedom of speech in high-profile athletic “protests”; the influence of legacy and new media in shaping sports narratives and public perception; and the intersection of sports with human rights and democracy.