HIST 312 - Cultural History of Sports

Credits: 5

This course examines the historical development of sports from a cultural perspective. It focuses primarily on the U.S. and Latin America from the pre-colonial era to the present and explores sports and sporting activities from folk games and blood sports to the highly organized, often commercial, professional contests of modern era. We will devote special attention to race/ethnicity, class, gender, politics, economics, education, and the media to investigate how and why sports have become a popular cultural phenomenon, as well as how they have influenced -and been influenced by- broader patterns of cultural and social change. Since sports have historically served as symbolic sites of exclusion, inclusion, protest, and power for women and minority groups, we will examine the impact of athletic competition on the development of race and gender relations.

Prerequisites: None, but a survey-level US History course is recommended.
Course Attributes: DPD