WILFRID LAURIER UNIVERSITY
Department of Kinesiology and Physical Education
KP211: Sociology of Physical Activity
Room: Alvin Woods 3-105
Time: M/W/F 10:30-11:20
Instructor: Dr. Rob J. Lake
Office: BA 519
Tel: (519) 884-0710 ext. 4773
Email: rlake@wlu.ca
Office hours: Mon 2:30-4:30 or by appointment
Teaching Assistant: Meghan Hoefs
Email: hoef7010@mylaurier.ca
Course Description
The aim of this course is to teach students to think critically about sport and leisure
in contemporary society. Students will be introduced to broad sociological themes
that can be examined using sport as a lens to view society, such as social class, gender
and racial inequality alongside a wide range of historically-rooted sporting ‘issues’,
such as violence, cheating, doping and corruption. Students will be encouraged to
question the typical ‘positive’ understandings of sport and engage critically with
discussions centred on sporting ideologies, e.g. playing through pain, win at all costs,
masculinity, etc. Mainstream theoretical frameworks will be introduced and applied
to shed light on aspects of sport often hidden from view. The main goal here is to
challenge the idea of sport and leisure as innocuous pursuits, but to consider their
social, cultural, political and economic significance, and sport’s rise to significance in
our present globalised and commercialised society.
Reading
This course has the following core text, available to purchase at the WLU Bookstore:
Coakley, J. & Donnelly, P. (2009). Sport and Society: Issues and
Controversies. (2nd Canadian edition). Toronto: McGraw-Hill Ryerson.
Further weekly readings will be set each week, and geared toward the following
week’s lecture. They will help inform students of lecture content, and will be tested
on for the midterms.
Assessments
Mid-term exams (multiple choice and short answer): 40% (20% each)
These will take place on the Monday and Wednesday classes of week 10. We will try
and have exams graded and feedback prepared by Friday or the following Monday
60-Second Takeovers (every Monday class from week 2 onwards): 20%
Our entire Monday class will be a student-led seminar, where students will bring to
class their own carefully prepared and researched topics for discussion, and earn
marks for their contributions to other people’s discussions. Students can talk about
something they read in a newspaper, magazine or book, something they watched on
TV or on the web, or even a conversation they had with someone. In class, students
can spend 60 seconds each introducing a topic relevant to the sociology of sport, and
also offering some insight into the issue. For example…
The other day I saw this YouTube clip of this guy who jumped off a building and
broke his ankle. It was horrible, but I couldn’t help but keep rewinding it over and
over and over again, laughing about it with my buddies. Then we starting talking
about hockey, and how the violence element in the sport is so appealing, and
actually part of the reason why we Canadians love it so much. So I did some
research using Google and I found out that a poll was taken by an independent
research group in 2006 asking Canadians what they valued most in their lives. Top
of the list was family; second was personal health; third was living in a safe
environment. I couldn’t help wonder why they loved violence in hockey so much
when it contradicted these values: kids who watch the violence will be affected
negatively by it; the hockey players themselves can end up with serious health
problems later in life; and the celebration of violence must go against the ideals
espoused in a “safe” society. I am interested to know more about this. My questions
to the group are: What does our violent hockey culture say about Canadians? Do
you think our love of hockey and the violence in it has something to do with our
past; how Canadians prided themselves on being hardy survivors, and now our
success in hockey is like a way of keeping that pride and identity alive in the 21st
century? Is there something wrong with loving violence in hockey? Should we try
and remove it from the sport altogether given new research findings on head
injuries and concussions?
Notes: Every student is expected to introduce several topics for discussion
throughout the course, and also to contribute regularly to other discussions.
20% of your mark is allocated to this endeavour throughout the entire course.
Tips for doing well: The mark for this element is subjectively and qualitatively
determined by me; marks are not given per discussion topic as it were. My advice
would be that if you want to score highly in this element, you make yourself
distinguishable. Sitting toward the front of class helps (you are perhaps less likely to
get distracted and you also appear bigger that way!), as does getting involved in any
class discussions when opportunities arise. Reading around the subject will greatly
assist you. Simply, if you make an effort both in and outside of class, you will score
highly; if you do not engage with the subject matter, contribute to discussions or
present at all, you will not. Students will be assessed individually on: i) their efforts
to research discussion topics, collate information and share it with the class; ii) the
quality of their discussion comments and debating skills in their own and other
students’ discussions; and, iii) their overall efforts and abilities to critically engage
with relevant issues to do with sport in society.
Group project - portfolio: 40%
Students are to work in small groups and submit a portfolio of work, which will
include an analysis of journal articles, newspaper or other media articles,
photographs and numerous other sources where appropriate. You are to use these
sources as evidence for critical discussions.
Complete the following task:
With reference to numerous case studies and examples, discuss the ways in which
modern sport has been shaped over time by the following key features:
 Globalised Commercialism: the gearing of sport to suit the requirements of
commerce/business on a global scale
 Politics and Government: the use of sport as a political tool or governmental
resource, on both a national and international scale
 Mass Media: The ubiquitous presence of sport in TV, film and online content,
and the use of media to manipulate ideas and values in sport for the
purposes of creating stories and transmitting certain messages
Students are to organize themselves into their own groups of between 4 and 6
members, delegate tasks to each member and produce a professional-looking but
visually-stimulating final product. If you want to know how much work I expect from
each student, consider what you would have to do for 40% of your other courses.
There is no explicit word or page-limit, but I am looking for quality above quantity. I
strongly encourage regular group-meetings with me, particularly in the final stages
when I can give pointed and specific advice, and allow you to see previous projects to
give you some ideas of my expectations.
Advice:





All answers must be rooted historically; consider the various changes that
have occurred over time
You must discuss ALL three of these areas, and it is imperative that you
demonstrate an understanding of connections between each of these areas,
and also how they link with class/exclusion, gender/sexuality,
race/ethnicity/religion and national identity. Linking the various key topics in
this course will impress me.
Feel free to adopt any position or argument you like, so long as this is logically
justified and supported by evidence and research. There are no right or wrong
answers. Your grade will depend on the strength of the arguments made,
based on detailed critical analysis, wide reading in and around the subject and
a sound overall understanding of the topic areas.
You are expected to utilise, refer to and reference numerous relevant academic
sources (i.e. the work of sport sociologists and historians). Work that relies on
just newspaper articles or websites or work without reference to any published
academic material will score poorly!
Use the discussion times on Mondays to introduce topics for discussion.
Guidelines for Group-work Portfolio:
Students are to form themselves into groups of between 4 and 6 members, and to
submit those names to me by Monday’s class in Week 3.
Choose carefully!
You are to submit ONE piece of work, which will be graded, based on the following
criteria:




Strength of Argument (25%)
Support from Literature (25%)
Support from examples and case studies (25%)
Creativity, Display, Presentation, Style and Professionalism (25%)
The final grade (out of 100) will be multiplied by the number of people in your group,
and as a group, you will have to divide this grade between yourselves, presumably
making this decision based on quality and quantity of input. Here’s an example:
 A group of 6 students submits a piece of work, which achieves a grade of 70.
 Your group would receive a score of 420 (i.e. 70 x 6), for you to divide between
the six of you.
 If, for example, you come to a collective decision that one person (person ‘A’)
deserves a higher grade than the others, you might divide it like this:
o Person ‘A’ – 80
o Persons B, C, D, E & F – 68
o (68 x 5) + 80 = 420
 If, on the other hand, person ‘A’ wasn’t quite so good, missed a few meetings
and made less positive impact than the others, you might divide it like this:
o Person ‘A’ – 60
o Persons B, C, D, E & F – 72
o (72 x 5) + 60 = 420
I will double-check all math equations, and also, but only as a last resort, act as
mediator for any major group disagreements. I should stress, however, the onus is on
you to work out any problems for yourselves. If there is evidence to suggest that a
student’s input has been minimal to the point of non-existent, he/she will receive a
grade of 0 and the grade will be multiplied by one less member.
Lecture Schedule
Week number
Week 1:
Course Introduction
Jan 6-10
Week 2:
Sporting
Ideologies
Jan 13-17
Week 3:
Social Class
and Sport I
Jan 20-24
Week 4:
Social Class
and Sport II
Jan 27-31
Week 5: Sport
and Feminist
Thought
Feb 3-7
Week 6:
Contemporary Issues
of Gender in
Sport
Feb 10-14
Week 7:
Reading Week
Feb 17-21
Week 8: Sport,
Race and
National
Identity I
Feb 24-28
Lecture info
‘Just a Bunch of Fun and Games’: An Introduction
to Critical Thinking about Physical Activity
 Course info, requirements and structure
 How do you define physical activity?
 What role does it play in our society?
 Structure and Agency; socialization and the
‘Sociological Imagination’
‘Sport is a Good Thing’: The Unfortunate Legacy of
Functionalism
 Intro to the use of theory to understand
sport
 Intro to Functionalist application to sport
‘Power Relations at Work’: The Commodification of
Sport and Physical Activity
 The application of Karl Marx to sport:
Bourgeoisie & Proletariat, exploitation,
false consciousness and alienation
 Athletes as commodities
‘Fitting in is hard to do’: Sport as an Exclusive
Leisure Pursuit
 Pierre Bourdieu and subtle but pervasive
forms of social distinction: Habitus,
Cultural Capital and Sporting Taste
‘Sport as a Male Preserve’: The Historical Struggle
for Women’s Sporting Legitimation
 History of sport as created by men, for
men: What legacy?
 The place of sport within 1st and 2nd-wave
feminist struggles in North America and
Western Europe
‘The Last Bastion of Gender Inequality?’: Why is
Sport Still Marginalising, Undermining and
Excluding Women?
 Media representations, ‘the image
problem’, hetereonormativity and
homophobia
 Power relations at play in men’s and
women’s sport
No lectures this week!!
‘It’s a Black Thing’: Sport and the Historical Politics
of Race
 Globalisation processes and their aftermath
in sport
 The comparative legacies of imperialism in
Olympics and Commonwealth Games
 Sport as a Tool for Racial Suppression and
Required readings
Coakley & Donnelly, chapters 1 & 2
Wohl, A (1970). Competitive Sport and
Its Social Functions. International
Review for the Sociology of Sport 5,
117-130.
Lake. R. J. (2011). A Critique of
Functionalist Values within Recent
British Tennis Policy. International
Sports Studies 32(2), 47-59.
Sewart, J. (1987) The commodification
of sport. International Review for the
Sociology of Sport 22, 171-192.
Budd, A. (2001). Capitalism, sport and
resistance: Reflections. Culture, Sport,
Society 4(1), 1-18.
Wilson, T. (2002). The paradox of
social class and sports involvement:
The roles of cultural and economic
capital. International Review for the
Sociology of Sport 37(1), 5-16.
Coakley & Donnelly, chapter 10
Mangan, J.A. (1989). The social
construction of Victorian femininity:
emancipation, education and exercise.
International Journal of the History
of Sport 6(1), 1-9.
Spencer, N. (2000). Reading Between
the Lines: A Discursive Analysis of the
Billie Jean King vs. Bobby Riggs
“Battle of the Sexes”. Sociology of
Sport Journal 17, 386-402.
Harris, J. (2005). The image problem
in women’s football. Journal of Sport
and Social Issues 29 (2), 184-197.
Coakley & Donnelly, chapter 8
Jarvie, G. & Reid, I. (1997). Race
relations, sociology of sport and the
new politics of race and racism.
Leisure Studies 16(4), 211-219
Coakley & Donnelly, chapter 9
Week 9:
Sport, Race
and National
Identity II
Mar 3-7
Week 10:
Midterm Exam
Liberation
‘Hockey for Canucks, Baseball for Yanks, Soccer for
Limeys’: What Sport Means to our Collective
Identities
 The role of sport in both tempering and
reinforcing extreme nationalism: The case
study of soccer in Northern Ireland
 Racial ‘stacking’, Anglophone and
Francophone relations and national
identity in Canadian sport
Mid-terms, in 2 parts:
Part 1 (Mon): short answer questions
Part 2 (Wed): multiple choice questions
Gitersos, T. (2009). “Les ‘frogs’ sont
menacés”: Media Representations of
the Nordiques and Canadiens, 1979–
1981. Sport History Review 40, 69-81.
Jackson, S. J. & Ponic, P. (2001). Pride
and Prejudice: Reflecting on Sport
Heroes, National Identity, and Crisis in
Canada, Culture, Sport, Society, 4(2),
43-62.
Both exams will cover all the chapters
in Coakley & Donnelly set so far, all
readings set so far and lecture notes
Mar 10-14
Week 11:
Sport,
Globalization
and Commercialization
Mar 17-21
Week 12: Sport
and Politics
Mar 24-28
Week 13: Sport
and the Media
Mar 31-Apr 4
Fri: Feedback session – must attend!!
‘Money talks’: Sport as business in a globalised
world
 The roots of commercialism in modern
sport: sponsorship and product
endorsements
 The homogenisation of sport forms as an
outcome of globalisation processes
‘Sport and politics don’t mix’: The Politics of Sport
and Politics in Sport
 Historical case studies: 1936 Nazi Games,
Cold War Sport, sport and reconciliation
‘A symbiotic relationship?’: Sport and the Media in
the 21st Century
 Media and the commodification of sport
 Media narratives in sport and the
reproduction of sexism, racist and
xenophobic discourses
Fri April 4: No class! Hand in final project to
my office, BA519 by 11.20am
Smart, B. (2007). Not playing around:
global capitalism, modern sport and
consumer culture. Global Networks 7
(2), 113-134.
Coakley & Donnelly, chapter 11
Whitson, D. (2005). Olympic Hosting
in Canada: Promotional Ambitions,
Political Challenges. OLYMPIKA: The
International Journal of Olympic
Studies, XIV, 29-46.
Coakley & Donnelly, chapter 13
Angelini, J., Billings, A. & MacArthur,
P. (2012). The Nationalistic Revolution
Will Be Televised: The 2010 Vancouver
Olympic Games on NBC. International
Journal of Sport Communication 5(2)
193.
Cooky, C., Messner, M.A. & Hextrum,
R.H. (2013). Women Play Sport, But
Not on TV: A Longitudinal Study of
Televised News Media.
Communication and Sport.
Coakley & Donnelly, chapter 12
University Regulations and Procedures
1. Academic Integrity/Misconduct (cheating): Laurier is committed to a
culture of integrity within and beyond the classroom. This culture values
trustworthiness (i.e., honesty, integrity, reliability), fairness, caring, respect,
responsibility and citizenship. Together, we have a shared responsibility to
uphold this culture in our academic and nonacademic behaviour. The
University has a defined policy with respect to academic misconduct. You are
responsible for familiarizing yourself with this policy and the penalty
guidelines, and are cautioned that in addition to failure in a course, a student
may be suspended or expelled from the University for academic misconduct
and the offence may appear on their transcript. The relevant policy can be
found at Laurier's academic integrity website along with resources to educate
and support you in upholding a culture of integrity. Ignorance of Laurier’s
academic misconduct policy is not a defense. <see:
www.wlu.ca/academicintegrity >
2. Special Needs: Students with disabilities or special needs are advised to
contact Laurier’s Accessible Learning Centre for information regarding its
services and resources. Students are encouraged to review the Academic
Calendar <see: http://www.wlu.ca/page.php?grp_id=1365&p=5123 > for
information regarding all services available on campus.
3. Plagiarism: Wilfrid Laurier University uses software that can check for
plagiarism. If requested to do so by the instructor, students may are required
to submit their written work in electronic form and have it checked for
plagiarism. (Approved by Senate May 14, 2002)
4. Classroom Use of Electronic Devices – see Policy 9.3 (Approved by
Senate March 8, 2012)
http://www.wlu.ca/documents/50202/9.3_Electronic_Device_Policy.pdf
*sample syllabus statements available at:
http://www.wlu.ca/documents/50198/Syllabus_statements.doc
5. Late Assignment Policy – specify any penalties that will be assessed when
deadlines for the completion of course components are not met (Approved by
Senate May 23, 2012). NB: no assignments may be due during the two study
dates that fall between the end of exams and the beginning of the exam period
(see senate guidelines on academic dates)
6. Final Examinations – Students are strongly urged not to make any
commitments (i.e., vacation) during the examination period. Students are
required to be available for examinations during the examination periods of
all terms in which they register. (See Academic Regulations – examinations in
the academic calendars)
7. Foot Patrol, Counselling Services, and the Student Food Bank
(Approved by Senate November 28, 2011 – see below)
Waterloo
My Regulations
Laptop Policy
Laptops are generally prohibited in this course, because I consider them to be a
distraction for the students using them and also those sat nearby. However, if you
believe that your academic performance will be unduly disadvantaged by not being
able to use a laptop and can provide a compelling reason for this, please discuss the
matter with me in person. All students granted leave to use a laptop in class will be
required to sit away from other students so as not to distract them.
Mobile Phone Policy
All phones are to be shut off at the start of class, except if you have a dire emergency
that you have to attend to, in which case you need to let me know at the start of class.
Text messaging is absolutely prohibited during class times.
Late Work Policy
Work handed in late will be deducted 10% for each 24-hour period past the due date
and time they are submitted.