V1.09/ 2-23-09
THE UNIVERSITY OF NEW MEXICO
Sport Sociology (PEP540)
Instructor: Prof. Andrew Yiannakis
Office: Johnson Center #126
Phone: 277-3131
Email: ayiann@unm.edu (best way to reach me)
Office hours: Weds 3-4pm and 6.30-7pm
Website: http://unm.wsrjj.org/aygateway.htm (Gateway to PEP540)
Class Day/Time: Weds 4-6.30pm
COURSE DESCRIPTION
The meaning and significance of sport, including major issues and controversies, are examined in the context of the larger society from a
sociological and social psychological perspective.
Required Texts:
1. Yiannakis & Melnick: Contemporary Issues in Sociology of Sport, 2001
2. Coakley, J. Sport in Society: Issues and Controversies, 9th edition, 2007
COURSE OBJECTIVES
It is the primary purpose of this course to provide an overview of the domain in order to help students:
1. Develop a reasonable degree of familiarity with the sociology of sport literature
2. Develop an appreciation of how sport sociology contributes to the analysis and understanding of human behavior in sport contexts
3. Develop a critical/analytic orientation in the examination and study of sport
CONTENTS
UNIT I: The Sociology of Sport: An Introduction
What constitutes sport? Why study sport sociologically?
Coakley Chpt 1 and other related readings from Yiannakis & Melnick
UNIT II: Using Sociological Theories
Sociological theories about sport and society. How they help us make sense of the role of sport in society. Functionalist and
Conflict Theory perspectives.
Coakley Chpt 2 and other related readings from Yiannakis & Melnick
UNIT III: Applied Sociology of Sport: An Introduction
1. Yiannakis: Toward an Applied Sociology of Sport (Reserve. Also in
The Sociology of Sport Journal, 1989)
2. Yiannakis: Some applications of Sport Sociology to the Marketing of
Sport and Leisure Organizations (Reserve. Also in the Journal of Sport Mgmt, 1989)
3. Yiannakis et al: Forecasting in Sport: A Time Series Analysis with English Premier League Soccer (Reserve. Also in
The International Review for the Sociology of Sport, 2006)
4. Smith: The Home Advantage Revisited (Reserve. Also in The Journal of
Sport and Social Issues, 2003)
UNIT IV: Sport as a Social Institution (2 classes)
What is an institution? What functions does it serve? In this unit we shall examine the functions of sport as a social institution, analyze its role
in society and discuss the ways it serves to support, reinforce, reproduce and maintain the core values and ideologies of particular politico-economic
perspectives
1. Coakley: Chptr 4 on Socialization
2. Edwards: Sport as a social institution (R)
3. Foley: Reproducing race, class and gender inequality
4. Real: Super Bowl, mythic spectacle (R)
UNIT V: Media Portrayals of Sport (2 classes)
The relationship between sport and the media. Gender and racial/ethnic portrayals in the sports media. How the media help create, reinforce,
maintain and perpetuate our definitions of sport.
From:
· Coakley: Chpt 12
· Trujillo: Machines, missiles and men….
· Messner et al: The gender of audience building
· McArthy & Jones: The portrayal of the black soccer player on television
· Jamieson: Reading Nancy Lopez: Decoding representations of race, class and sexuality
· Denham, Billings & Halone: Differential accounts of race in broadcast commentary... (R)
UNIT VI: Subcultures in Sport
In this unit we shall examine and discuss such questions as: What are sport subcultures? How and why do they develop/exist? What are their
structural/cultural elements? What purposes do they serve? What meanings and significance do sport subcultures have for their members?
Readings from Yiannakis & Melnick and:
· Steele & Zurcher: Leisure sports as ephemeral roles (R)
· Jacobs: Urban Samurai: The karate dojo (R)
· Stein: Cult and sport (R)
· Sheard & Dunning: The rugby football club as a male preserve (R)
· Martin & Berry: Competitive sport in post-industrial society (R)
· Donnelly & Young: The construction and confirmation of identity in sport subcultures (R)
· Klein: Pumping irony: Crisis and contradiction in bodybuilding (#30)
· Beal: Disqualifying the official: Social resistance through the subculture of skateboarding (#23)
UNIT VII: Social Inequalities, Exploitation and Deviance in Sport (2 classes)
In this unit we shall examine the darker side of sport in its various forms and manifestations. Areas of study may include:
· The politics and economics of big time college sports
· The sports ethic, over conformity and false consciousness
· Exploitation in sport: Who's on a free ride here?
· Race and gender issues in sport
· Drugs and other forms of deviance in sport
· Violence/aggression in sport
· Homophobia in sport
From:
· Sperber: College sports inc.: The athletic department vs. the university
· Hughes/Coakley: Positive deviance among athletes: Implications of over conformity to the sport ethic
· Coakley Chpt 6: Deviance in sports
· Coakley Chpt 7: Violence in sports
· Coakley Chpt 8: Gender and sports
· Coakley Chpt 9: Race and ethnicity in sports
· Coakley Chpt 10: Do money and power matter in sports?
· Hoch: Who owns sports? (R)
· Balbus: Politics as sports: The ascendancy of the sports metaphor in America
· Curry: Fraternal bonding in the locker room: A profeminist analysis of talk about competition and women
· Bryson: Sport and the maintenance of masculine hegemony
· Sack: The underground economy of college football
· Lenskyj: Combating homophobia in sport and physical education
UNIT VIII: Sport Tourism
Sport tourism is a relative newcomer on the scene and it is one of the fastest growing academic areas in universities and colleges. Sport tourism
raises questions of interest for sport sociologists, managers, sport marketers, policy makers and national/international sport organizations. In this
unit we examine the phenomenon and its impacts and raise questions about issues pertaining to its management and marketing.
From:
· Gibson: Sport tourism: Concepts and theories (R)
· Gibson: Towards an understanding of why sport tourists do what they do (R)
· Fredline: Host and guest relations and sport tourism (R)
· Hill and Chalip: Marketing sport tourism (R)
· Weed: A grounded theory of the policy process for sport and tourism (R)
· Deery and Jago: The management of sport tourism (R)
UNIT IX: Sports, Globalization and International Sport
A special look at the World Cup in soccer and the Olympic Games and their role as agents of integration, conflict and social change . Issues such
as commercialization, exploitation and politics will also be examined.
From:
· Coakley: Chpt 13
· Harvey & Houle: Sport, world economy, global culture, and new social movements
· Klein: Sport and culture as contested terrain: Americanization in the Caribbean.
· Jackson & Andrews. Between and beyond the Global and the Local: American popular sporting culture in New Zealand
· Sugden & Tomlinson. What's left when the circus leaves town? An evaluation of World Cup USA (R)
R = Reserve or online
Videos
A number of videos that complement the readings and introduce new material may be included in the course.
Procedures And Class Requirements
·
Regular attendance is strongly advised.
Readings must be completed prior to attending class
All work must be typed and written entirely in your own words. Paraphrasing and extensive quoting (more than 2 lines per page)
are to be avoided.
Grading and Assignments
Choice of:
1a. A 10 page original research paper involving the collection of primary data (to include a literature review). This may be qualitative or
quantitative (25%). One page proposal must be approved by instructor prior to collecting data. Due last class of semester.
Or:
1b. A final in-class exam (last class of semester, 25%).
2. A midterm in-class test (20%). .
3. Weekly Reports on assigned readings (approx. TWO 2-page typed reports per week) for a total of 30. These will be graded on a Pass-Fail basis.
They will not be returned to you so keep the originals for yourselves (1.5 points each for a total of 40%) of the course). These MUST be turned
in the week they are due. However, you have a five day grace period to complete the assignment.
4. Class participation/discussion (15%). This is based on frequency and quality of in-class input.
Some Leading Books (and classics) in Sociology of Sport
(and related areas)
· Arnold: Subcultures, 1970
· Bairner: Sport, Nationalism, and Globalization: European and North American Perspectives, 2001
· Birrell & Mcdonald: Reading sport: Critical essays on power and representation, 2000
· Brohm: Sport: A prison of measured time, 1976
· Dunleavy et al.: Studies in the sociology of sport, 1982
· Dunning: Sport: Readings from a sociological perspective, 1971
· Edwards: Sociology of sport, 1973
· Eitzen: Sport in Contemporary Society, 2006
· Eitzen & Sage: Sociology of North American sport: 2008
· Forney: The Holy Trinity of American sports: Civil religion in football, baseball, and basketball, 2006?
· Gibson: Sport tourism: Concepts and theories. Routledge, 2006
· Giulianotti: Sport: A critical sociology, 2004
· Hart: Sport in the sociocultural process, 1972
· Jones & Armour: Sociology of sport, 2000
· Leonard: A sociological perspective of sport, 1993
· Loy: Sport culture and society, 1969
· Loy & Kenyon: Sport, culture, and society: A reader on the sociology of sport, 1969
· McPherson et al: The social significance of sport, 1989
· Nixon: Sport in a changing world, 2008
· Nixon & Frey: Sociology of Sport, 1996
· Phillips: Sociology of sport 1993
· Rees & Miracle: Sport & social theory, 1986
· Sack & Staurowsky: College athletes for hire, 1998
· Sage: Power and ideology in American sport: A critical perspective, 1998
· Scott: The Athletic Revolution, 1971
· Snyder & Spreitzer: Social aspects of sport, 1989
· Weed: Sport & tourism, Routledge, 2007
· Yiannakis & Greendorfer: Applied sociology of sport, 1992
· Yiannakis, McIntyre & Melnick: Sport sociology: Contemporary themes, 1993
Some Major Journals
· Sociology of Sport Journal
· International Review for the Sociology of Sport
· Journal of Sport and Social Issues
· Journal of Sport Management
· Journal of Sport Behavior
· Exercise and Sport Sciences Review
· Leisure Studies
· Leisure Science
· Quest
· Journal of Sport Sciences
2008 Olympic Sprint Champion Usain Bolt
SPECIAL NEEDS: Any student who, because of a disability, may require some special arrangements in order to meet course requirements should
contact the instructor as soon as possible to make necessary accommodations. It is the responsibility of the student to request accommodation
for individual learning needs. UNM will make every attempt to accommodate all qualified students with disabilities. For further information,
contact Student Support Services at 277-3506.