SOC327H1

Cultural Politics of Sports

This course examines sport through the lens of cultural politics, an approach within the sociology of sport that explores how power, identity, and meaning are negotiated through sporting practices and institutions. The sociology of sport challenges common-sense assumptions about the role, function, and significance of sport in society. Students will engage with current research and key contemporary debates shaping sport, such as participation and social development, disability and sport, the limits of the gender binary, indigeneity and colonialism, migration, media and fandom, nationalism, and sportswashing. These themes provide a foundation for critically analyzing sport as a cultural and political phenomenon. Each class combines substantive discussion with attention to research practice, emphasizing how social scientific knowledge about sport is produced and disseminated. By the end of the course, students will develop a nuanced understanding of sport’s cultural politics and its broader social implications.