Mark Rubinfeld
Nightingale 8
Office phone: 832-2430; Home
phone: 364-1228
E-mail: mrubinfeld@westminstercollege.edu
Website: www.people.westminstercollege.edu/faculty/mrubinfeld
Office Hours: Mon., Tues.,
Wed., and Thurs. 4:00-5:15, and by appointment.
Course Description:
This course explores sports
as a significant cultural, political, and economic force in American society.
Focusing on both established and alternative sports, the course incorporates a
sociological perspective to critically examine how sports are organized,
played, experienced, observed, perceived, and critiqued in
Required Books (Available at
the College Bookstore):
Coakley, Jay. 2004. Sports in Society: Issues &
Controversies. 8th ed., McGraw Hill.
Required Articles (on reserve):
Richard Bilger:
“Enter the Chicken”
Robert Draper: “Pumping
Irony”
Michael Finkel:
“Running Like Hell”
Douglas E. Foley: “High
School Football: Deep in the Heart of
Tom Friend: “The
Natural”
Elizabeth Gilbert:
“Lucky Jim”
Mark Levine: “The
Birdman”
Juliet Macur:
“Please Let Me Die”
Bill Plaschke:
“Her Blue Heaven”
Joe Posnanski:
“Dusting Off Home”
Gary Smith: “The
Ball”
Charles Sprawson:
“Swimming with Sharks”
Wendy Thompson: “Wives
Incorporated”
Charles M. Young:
“Losing: An American Tradition”
Course Objectives:
* To compare and evaluate different theoretical
frameworks for studying, understanding and critically analyzing sports.
* To explore sports as a significant cultural,
political, and economic force in American society.
* To learn how sports reflect, reinforce, and
occasionally challenge dominant American values, arrangements, and structures.
* To examine the myths,
paradoxes, and controversies associated with sports.
* To study the racial,
ethnic, class, sexual, gender, and generational dimensions of sports.
* To consider different ways to reform and improve
sports and how “we” can individually and collectively participate
in these efforts.
Procedures and Course Outline:
This course utilizes a
variety of learning tools including readings, lectures, movies, video tapes,
class discussions, field trips, and small group exercises.
Assignments and Grading:
Your final grades will be
based on the following: a mid-term (30 percent of your final grade), a final
examination (30 percent of your final grade), five short papers (30% of your
final grade), and a group presentation (10 percent of your final grade). To
pass the course, you must complete all of the course assignments. Late papers
will be accepted up to one week late with a ten point penalty. After one week,
no late papers will be accepted.
(Note: an absence on the day a paper is due is not a valid reason for
missing a deadline. It is your responsibility to find someone to deliver the
paper for you, or to fax or e-mail a copy of the paper to me on the due date).
Final course grades will based on the percentage of total points earned: A (93-100), A- (90-92), B+
(87-89), B (83-86), B-
(80-82) C+ (77-79), C (73-76), C-
(70-72), D+ (67-69), D (63-66), D-
(60-62), and F (below 60).
Mid-term
and Final Exam: The mid-term and final exam will include multiple choice,
true-false, and short essay questions covering information from the readings,
lectures, videos, and class discussions.
Five
short papers: Choosing any five readings from the fourteen supplemental
readings, you will be responsible for writing a three-to-four page (double spaced)
paper that includes your critical analyses of the readings. These analyses must
address the cultural, social, political, and/or economic implications of the
reading. For each of the five readings that you choose to write about, your
critical reaction paper will be due one week after the reading is due; late
papers will be accepted up to one week after the due date with a 10 point
penalty, and two weeks after the due date with a 20 point penalty; no late
papers will be accepted after that.
Class Participation and Attendance:
Classroom discussions are
important; they help to clarify various issues that arise from the readings and
add diversity to the learning experience. I expect that all students will
participate in classroom discussions. Although this class has no formal
attendance policy, a significant number of questions on the midterm and
final will focus on class lectures and discussions. Furthermore, since I will
be weighing class participation in borderline grading situations, students who
regularly attend class and frequently participate in classroom and discussions
will have an “edge” in achieving a higher, final grade. Finally, I
reserve the option of giving quizzes, assigning additional homework, or
emending this syllabus as the need arises.
Student-Student and Student-Faculty
Relationship:
All students must be
respectful of other students. This means no talking while other students are
talking or trying to listen. Once class begins, no chatting, no reading, no
sleeping in class. If you must eat, make sure it is a “quiet” food.
Leave your cell phones at home or, at the very least, make sure that they are
turned off. In other words, act appropriately for a college class; if your
actions create a distraction, you will be asked to leave. In accordance with
college policies, any acts of cheating or plagiarism will be penalized to the
severest extent. At any time, feel free to meet with me to discuss readings,
lectures, assignments, or other matters relevant to this course. If you cannot
meet with me during my scheduled office hours, I am also available by
appointment. It is especially important for you to see me early in the semester
if you are having difficulties with the course. Do not wait till the end of the
semester when there is little, if anything, I can do to help you out. Finally,
feel free to meet with me if you want to learn more about pursuing sociology as
a major or a minor, or, if you would like my assistance incorporating
sociological analysis into work that you are doing in classes outside of
sociology.
Group Presentations
Due to time constraints,
there are a number of sports and sport issues that we will not be able to cover
in the course. In order to provide you with an overview of some of these, we
will use group presentations that will: 1) allow us to cover more material than
we could normally cover through lectures and readings, 2) provide you with a
greater variety of viewpoints, and 3) afford you the opportunity to experience
working on a group project that includes public speaking.
Each
group will be responsible for reporting on the sociological significance of a
particular sport or sport issue not covered in the class. Groups will have 30
minutes (plus an additional five minutes for questions and answers) to report
on the popular culture form. The group should not try to cover all aspects of
the sport or sport issue but focus, instead, on a few of the more pertinent
points, emphasizing what it thinks the students should learn about the social
significance of the form. Sports not covered in class may include, for example,
soccer, cycling, NASCAR, bull-riding, diving, golf, bowling, extreme skiing,
and martial arts. Sport issues not covered in class may include fan violence
and riots, cheating scandals, groupies, high school “jock culture,”
coaching, refereeing, collective bargaining, and owners.
In
presenting their material, group members will need to focus on the sociological
significance of the sport or sport issue they have chosen, as well as to
tie their presentation to some of the major themes covered in the class and/or
text.
One
week prior to the presentation, each group must submit an outline of its
presentation and what specific topic each individual member will be covering.
On the day of the presentation, each group also needs to include a bibliography
of at least three outside sources that they used to gather information about
their chosen topic.
Each
member of the group must participate in the oral presentation. All students in
the group will receive the same grade unless the group reports to me that one
or more of its members failed to participate, or work cooperatively, with the
bulk of the group members. It has been my experience that the best
presentations are those that involve the following:
Solid preparation: All group members should be equally prepared for the
presentation. This usually necessitates a clear delineation of member roles in
preparing for and conducting the presentation. Furthermore, it will take some
time to choose, edit, and organize the best video and/or audio clips related to
the presentations; don’t wait to the last minute. In addition, many of
the best presentations involve outside research or activity (e.g., interviewing
band members, bringing in a guest speaker, attending a large concert and
videotaping crowds, conducting on-campus surveys about students’ popular
culture likes and dislikes). The bottom line is that the format is up to each
group. There are only two limitations: that the presentation takes no more than
30 minutes (plus 5 minutes for questions and answers), and that it addresses
the sociological significance of a popular culture form not already covered in
class.
Class activity and/or
handouts: Having the class take an
active role in at least part of the presentation (through handouts, posters,
transparencies, videos, or any other audio or visual aids that the group deems
useful) often results in better class attention and discussions. In presenting
your material, strive to be informative, engaging, and creative. Try to think
of different ways of involving the class into your presentation so that your
audience stays interested.
Introduction of the panel
members: You can make the group
presentation more personal by introducing yourselves at the beginning of your
presentation. This helps to lessen the “intimidation factor”, and
to create an atmosphere more conducive to audience participation. Furthermore,
try not to forget to establish eye contact with members of the audience, and to
smile from time to time. If you can, also try to avoid reading from your notes
or cue cards.
Careful time budgeting: Use your time wisely. Thirty minutes is not very
long for a presentation. While you should be prepared to use the entire time
for your presentation, this does not mean that you should try to cram as much
information or activities as possible into your presentation. It is better to
cover two well-developed points about a topic than to zip through ten confused
and disjointed points.
Expectations about
audience participation: Of course you
will do the best you can to encourage participation and discussion from the
class. However, the burden of responsibility is not entirely yours. The rest of
the class is also responsible for ensuring that the group presentations are an
engaging and rewarding experience for everyone involved. This entails: 1)
listening attentively (showing respect for speakers), 2) taking part in the
discussion and/or activity, and 3) preparing at least one question or comment
to share with the class during the question and answer period.
Grading: As previously mentioned, each member in the group
receives the same grade. The final grade will be based on the following
criteria: 1) substance or content, 2) creativity and resourcefulness (use of materials,
exercises, activities, etc.), and 3) form and style (articulation, length,
organization, preparedness, etc.). If there are any problems with one or more
group members not contributing to group meetings or to the group work, first
try to approach the member(s) with your concerns and, if that fails, notify me
as soon as possible. If the group consensus is that one or more members of the
group are not participating to the satisfaction of the group, the
non-participating member or members will not get credit for the assignment, and
receive a zero for their group presentation grade. This ensures that the group
is not penalized for the lack of preparation of any of its members and that no
group member or members receive credit for the work that others are doing.
Having fun: Education does not always have to be a chore. In
addition to learning new material, this is an opportunity to develop public
speaking skills, gain self-confidence, make new friends, and have some fun.
This is your time to teach and to reach. This is also an excellent opportunity
to be daring and creative. Go for it!
COURSE OUTLINE
|
Week |
Topic |
Assignments |
|
1 |
Introduction to Sports and
Society |
No readings or assignments
due. |
|
2 |
The Sociology of Sport |
Tuesday January 11 Chapter 1 in Sports in Society: “The
Sociology of Sport: What Is It and Why Study It” Tuesday January 11 “Enter the
Chicken” (paper due January 18) |
|
3 |
Sports and Socialization |
Thursday January 20 Chapter 4 in Sports in Society: “Sports and
Socialization: Who Plays and What Happens to Them?” Thursday January 20 “Her Blue
Heaven” (paper due January 27) |
|
4 |
Sports and Socialization
(and) Sports and Education |
Tuesday January 25 “Losing: An American
Tradition” and “High School Football: Deep in the Heart of Thursday January 27 Chapter 14 in Sports in Society: “Sports in
High School and College: Do Varsity Sports Programs Contribute to
Education?” |
|
5 |
Deviance in Sports |
Tuesday February 1 Chapter 6 in Sports in Society: “Deviance in
Sports: Is It Out of Control?” Tuesday February 1 “Lucky Jim”
(paper due February 8) Thursday February 3 “Running Like
Hell” and “Please Let Me Die” (paper due February 10) |
|
6 |
Deviance in Sports (and)
Violence in Sports |
Tuesday February 8 Chapter 7 in Sports in Society: “Violence in
Sports: How Does It Affect Our Lives?” |
|
7 |
Violence in Sports (and)
Midterm Review |
Tuesday February 15 “The Ball”
(paper due February 22) Thursday February 17 No class (see below) Friday February 18 ***Field Trip*** Utah
Grizzlies vs. San Antonio Rampage, 7:00, E-Center (family and friends
invited). |
|
8 |
Midterm Exam (and) Sex and
Gender in Sports |
Tuesday February 22 ***Midterm Exam*** Thursday February 24 Chapter 8 in Sports in Society: “Gender and
Sports: Does Equity Require Ideological Changes?” |
|
9 |
Sex and Gender in Sports
(and) Race and Ethnicity in Sports |
Tuesday March 8 “Wives
Incorporated” (paper due March 15) Thursday March 10 Chapter 9 in Sports in Society: “Race and
Ethnicity: Are They Important in Sports?” |
|
10 |
Race and Ethnicity in
Sports (and) Social Class in Sports |
Tuesday March 15 “The Natural”
(paper due March 22) Thursday March 17 Chapter 10 in Sports in Society: “Social
Class: Do Money and Power Matter in Sports?” |
|
11 |
Social Class in Sports
(and) Sports and Politics |
Tuesday March 22 “Dusting off
Home” and “Pumping Irony” (paper due March 29) Thursday March 24 Chapter 13 in Sports in Society: “Sports and
Politics: How do Governments and Globalization Influence Sports” |
|
12 |
Sports and Politics (and)
The Future of Sports |
Tuesday March 29 “Swimming With
Sharks” (paper due April 5) Thursday March 31 Chapter 16 in Sports in Society: “Sports in
the Future: What Can We Expect” |
|
13 |
The Future of Sports (and)
Group Presentation Preparations |
Tuesday April
5 “The Birdman”
(paper due April 12) |
|
14 |
Group Presentations |
Tuesday April 12 Group Presentations Thursday April 14 Group Presentations |
|
15 |
Leftover Group
Presentations (and) Group Presentation Grades and Feedback, Final Exam
Review, Course Summary and Course Evaluations |
Tuesday April 19 ***Final Class*** (Leftover Group Presentations, Group Presentation
Grades, Final Exam Review, Class Wrap-up) ***FINAL EXAM*** is scheduled for Wednesday, April 27th, 2:00-3:50 p.m. |