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Start date: Tuesday, September 8, 2026 |
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End date: Wednesday, December 23, 2026 |
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Mode of Instruction: In Person |
Course Description:
An introduction to the social science of sports. We will focus on motivations and behaviors in sports organizations and markets. We will compare and contrast college, professional, individual, team, and international sports. Specific topics are stakeholders (agents, athletes, fans, clubs, leagues, media, owners, and sponsors), governance (rules and informal honor codes), and dysfunctions (bias, corruption, discrimination, and doping). An overarching topic is: What are sports for? We will review answers from economics, sociology, and psychology, and develop our own. The course has a seminar format. Students will lead classes with presentations about assigned materials and debates about policy issues; for example, pay-for-play for college athletes, performance-enhancing drugs, and Title IX. There will be guest visits by experts from the field. |