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Special Topics (390-0-72)

Topic

Sports, Media & Society

Instructors

Claudia Kozman

Meeting Info

Northwestern Qatar Room G-200: Tues, Su 8:30AM - 9:45AM (AST)

Overview of class

Sport is a social institution no less than education, religion, family, or the military, and no less important: It makes identities of all kinds, from the national to the deeply personal. Modern sports were born in the early 19th century, at the same time and for the same reasons as modern mass media; the two have ever since been joined at the hip, such that scholars often refer to them as one institution: "mediasport." Today sport is the most valuable, highest-earning media product in the global entertainment industry—indeed for most of us, sport is something we consume, not something we do. And yet the "right to play" is—according to the United Nations, the International Olympic Committee, and the European Union—a fundamental human right. So it's big stuff—less than war, but more than a game. In this course, sport is considered from various contexts. We do it through weekly monitoring of sports media, documentary films, student research and writing assignments, and class discussion. Our contexts include commerce and industry, domestic and international politics (including war) gender and sex identities, racial and ethnic relations, religion and spirituality, and popular culture from fashion to video games.

Registration Requirements


  • Prerequisites: None

  • Open to sophomores and above

  • Open for cross-registration

  • Satisfies Media and Politics Minor

Enrollment Requirements

Enrollment Requirements: Registration is reserved for sophomore, juniors, and seniors only.