Course
Discontinued
No
Course Code
SPSC 2205
Descriptive
Socio-cultural Aspects of Sport, Health, and the Body
Department
Sport Science
Faculty
Science & Technology
Credits
3.00
Start Date
End Term
202020
PLAR
No
Semester Length
15 weeks
Max Class Size
35
Contact Hours
Lecture/Tutorial 4
Method(s) Of Instruction
Lecture
Tutorial
Learning Activities
- Lecture
- Tutorials
- Small and large group discussion
- Case approach
- Debates
Course Description
This course will explore sport, health, and the body from socio-cultural perspectives. Social structures, institutions, and discourses will be examined to consider their influence on understandings of sport, health and the body within local groups and broader society. Students will also learn and apply qualitative research methods within the context of these three broad areas (sport, health, and the body). Aspects of critical inquiry, reflection, ethics, and debate will also be incorporated.
Course Content
Within each of the content areas below, students will be able to:
- Sociological imagination and the study of sport, health, and the body
- Describe the relationship of individuals influencing and influenced by society
- Provide examples of the sociological imagination as it applies to sport, health, and the body
- Explain and apply sociological theories to contemporary examples of sport, health, and the body
- Social structures, institutions and discourses influencing sport
- Describe the relationship between social structures of media and the sport as well as gender
- Describe the relationship between education (social institution), discourse, sport, and gender
- Provide examples of the impact of structures, institutions, discourse on sport as well as gender
- Critically analyze media, social information on institutions, and discourse as it pertains to sport
- Sport subcultures
- Explain the concept of subculture as it pertains to sport
- Apply concepts of rituals and norms of culture to particular sports
- Critically examine visual and written literature for acts of resistance in sport subculture
- Explain resistance within sport subculture as it relates to resistance in broader society
- Describe the relationship between sport subculture and identity formation
- Apply concepts of sport subculture to specific ‘real’ situations
- Research methods & ethics
- Explain research and its distinction from other sources of information
- Describe methods for collecting data, particularly qualitative research methods
- Describe aspects of a research process (question generation, data collection and analysis)
- Apply research process by generating a question, collect data, analyze and present findings to the class
- Demonstrate skills of research and information literacy specifically accessing published research articles from the library, deciphering, summarizing, and synthesizing content, as well as presenting this in oral and written form.
- Apply findings from research to support or explain personal experiences
- Describe ethical issues and apply an ethical decision-making process to specific cases
- Social conditions influencing health & health inequities
- Describe the dimensions of health and their interconnection
- Explain social structures and their influence on inequalities of health
- Explain social conditions and their influence on dimensions of health within the Canadian context
- Apply sociological perspective of health to explain the relationship between conditions and health
- The body, its social construction and social inequalities
- Describe social and biological theories or perspectives of bodies
- Describe social theories of power and technologies of the body (Foucault)
- Apply Foucault’s concepts of power and discipline to examples of sport, health and the body
- Explain the construction of social norms regarding appropriate bodies and the impact for social exclusion and injustice
- Apply concepts of socially constructed bodies and marginalization to: gender, age, dis/ability
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course students will:
1. Deepen their understanding of the tenets and theories related to sociology
2. Understand and critically discuss social dynamics influencing the field of physical activity, the body, and
health.
3. Develop and apply skills of critical inquiry in study of sport, health, and the body
4. Further develop written and oral expression of ideas (literacy)
5. Explore and apply research skills (research literacy)
On completion of this course students will:
- Deepen their understanding of the tenets and theories related to sociology
- Understand and critically discuss social dynamics influencing the field of physical activity, the body, and health.
- Develop and apply skills of critical inquiry in study of sport, health, and the body
- Further develop written and oral expression of ideas (literacy)
- Explore and apply research skills (research literacy)
Means of Assessment
The selection of evaluation tools for this course is based upon adherence to Douglas College evaluation policy regarding number and weighing of evaluations, for example a course of three credits or more should have at least three separate evaluations.
The following is presented as an example assessment format for this course:
| Individual research activity | 20% |
| Group research project | 20% |
| Oral presentation | 10% |
| Case analysis & debate | 20% |
| Tests (midterm & final) | 30% |
Textbook Materials
Reading package and textbooks will be made available through the bookstore.
Additional readings are available through the Douglas College Library
Reading package and textbooks will be made available through the bookstore.
Additional readings are available through the Douglas College Library
Prerequisites