Course overview
- Study period
- Semester 2, 2024 (22/07/2024 - 18/11/2024)
- Study level
- Undergraduate
- Location
- St Lucia
- Attendance mode
- In Person
- Units
- 2
- Administrative campus
- St Lucia
- Coordinating unit
- Human Movement & Nutrition Sci
Examines sport from a sociological perspective, with a focus on gender, sexuality, race, violence, commodification, deviance, nationalism, globalisation and the mass media.
This course is designed to demonstrate the importance of considering social and cultural aspects of sport. It will provide you with the skills to look critically at sportﾠin Australia and beyond, and to make informed decisions about your relationship toﾠsport as a participant,ﾠor through your career.ﾠIt covers issues of crucial importance to sportspeople, coaches, physical education instructors, media producers, policy makers, researchers, and sociologists of sport.ﾠTheﾠcourse willﾠprovide you with a solid foundation for future studies or employmentﾠin sporting fields, or in the discipline of sociology in general.
Course requirements
Prerequisites
You'll need to complete the following courses before enrolling in this one:
#8 in undergraduate courses
Incompatible
You can't enrol in this course if you've already completed the following:
HM220 or 318 or SO218
Course contact
Course staff
Lecturer
Timetable
The timetable for this course is available on the UQ Public Timetable.
Aims and outcomes
SOCY2280 is anﾠintroduction to the sociology of sport.ﾠLearning activities and assessments will guide students to understandﾠkey sociological theories and their application toﾠsport, leisure, and exercise settings. Lectures and seminars will use Australian and international case studies to provide students with tools and knowledges to question everyday understandings of sport, with an aim toward creating more equitable and ethical sport, leisure, and exercise communities.ﾠﾠﾠ
Learning outcomes
After successfully completing this course you should be able to:
LO1.
have a comprehensive and well-founded knowledge of the social and cultural aspects of sport based on international research
LO2.
understand how sport not only reflects, and reproduces society but also how it can be used as a site for resistance and change.
LO3.
collect, analyse and organise information and ideas and convey those ideas clearly and fluently, in both written and spoken forms.
LO4.
select and use the appropriate level, style and means of communication.
LO5.
evaluate opinions, make decisions and to reflect critically on the justifications for decisions.
LO6.
understand how you can practice sport in a way that is of the most social benefit
Assessment
Assessment summary
| Category | Assessment task | Weight | Due date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paper/ Report/ Annotation | Brisbane 2032 Legacy Submission | 30% |
30/08/2024 4:00 pm |
| Creative Production/ Exhibition, Presentation, Project | Sociological Media Project | 45% (WIP Presentation 15%; Media Project 30%) |
18/09/2024 - 4/11/2024
WIP Presentation due in weeks 11, 12, & 13. Media Project due 4/11/2024 4:00pm. |
| Quiz | Sociological Readings Quiz | 25% |
21/08/2024 - 18/09/2024
In timetabled workshops during weeks 5, 6, 7, 8, & 9 |
Assessment details
Brisbane 2032 Legacy Submission
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Paper/ Report/ Annotation
- Weight
- 30%
- Due date
30/08/2024 4:00 pm
- Learning outcomes
- L01, L02, L03, L04, L05, L06
Task description
The Queensland Parliament has commissioned a committee of inquiry into the proposed legacy of the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Summer Games. You have been invited to make a 1500word written submission to this inquiry about a sociological issue of your choosing. Your submission should focus on the potential legacy of the Games for a particular population, group, or issue. For example, your submission might examine disability sport in Queensland, the responsibility of the Games to Pasifika and Oceania communities, or its potential effect on housing and homelessness.
Your submission should be guided by critical sociological questions such as:
- What does “legacy” mean in the context of the Olympic and Paralympic games?
- What has been the “legacy” of the games for previous host cities?
- Who decides what constitutes a “positive change”?
- Are the benefits of hosting the games shared equitably amongst all social groups?
- In what ways does Olympic and Paralympic sport reinforce or challenge existing power dynamics?
***A full task description is available on Blackboard***
Submission guidelines
Submit via turnitin.
Deferral or extension
You may be able to apply for an extension.
The maximum extension allowed is 28 days. Extensions are given in multiples of 24 hours.
Late submission
A penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark will be deducted per 24 hours from time submission is due for up to 7 days. After 7 days, you will receive a mark of 0.
Sociological Media Project
- Mode
- Oral, Product/ Artefact/ Multimedia
- Category
- Creative Production/ Exhibition, Presentation, Project
- Weight
- 45% (WIP Presentation 15%; Media Project 30%)
- Due date
18/09/2024 - 4/11/2024
WIP Presentation due in weeks 11, 12, & 13.
Media Project due 4/11/2024 4:00pm.
- Learning outcomes
- L01, L02, L03, L04, L05, L06
Task description
This is a two-stage assignment. You will develop a media product which explains and analyses an important sociological issue or story relevant to sport. You may choose any media format, including but not limited to:
- Video
- Social media account (twitter, Instagram, TikTok
- Zine (digital or physical
- Blog/Website
- News article (e.g. The Conversation)
- Other (check with course coordinator for approval)
During the development stage of your media product, you will be required to deliver a ‘work in progress’ seminar to the class and seek feedback. This seminar is worth 15% of your mark. You will use the feedback from your seminar to improve and develop your final media product, which is worth 30% of your mark.
***A full task description is available on Blackboard***
Submission guidelines
In class and online.
Deferral or extension
You may be able to apply for an extension.
The maximum extension allowed is 28 days. Extensions are given in multiples of 24 hours.
Late submission
A penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark will be deducted per 24 hours from time submission is due for up to 7 days. After 7 days, you will receive a mark of 0.
Sociological Readings Quiz
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Quiz
- Weight
- 25%
- Due date
21/08/2024 - 18/09/2024
In timetabled workshops during weeks 5, 6, 7, 8, & 9
- Learning outcomes
- L01, L02, L03, L04
Task description
Students are required to read 2 prescribed readings per week (see course reading list on Blackboard). Each week, one will be chosen as the assessable reading.
Each student will take 5 a short-answer quizzes during the course which assess, their knowledge and understanding of course readings. The quizzes will be completed in class, during the workshops in weeks 5, 6, 7, 8, & 9.
Prior to the quiz, students will have 15 minutes to discuss their notes and knowledge of the readings in small groups. Following this groupwork, students will be informed which of the two readings is being assessed.
Each quiz will contain five questions related to the content and findings of the paper, worth 1 mark each. Student responses to each question will be assessed using the scale below.
Submission guidelines
Completed online via Blackboard, in person, during class.
Deferral or extension
You may be able to defer this exam.
Your new quiz date and time will be determined by the course coordinator and communicated to you via your UQ student email account.
Course grading
Full criteria for each grade is available in the Assessment Procedure.
| Grade | Cut off Percent | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1 (Low Fail) | 0 - 24 |
Absence of evidence of achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: Fails to satisfy most or all of the basic requirements of the course |
| 2 (Fail) | 25 - 44 |
Minimal evidence of achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: Fails to satisfy some of the basic requirements of the course. Clear deficiencies in performance, but evidence that some basic requirements have been met |
| 3 (Marginal Fail) | 45 - 49 |
Demonstrated evidence of developing achievement of course learning outcomes Course grade description: Fails to satisfy all basic requirement for pass but is close to satisfactory overall and has compensating strengths in some aspects |
| 4 (Pass) | 50 - 64 |
Demonstrated evidence of functional achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: Satisfies all of the basic learning requirements for the course, such as knowledge of fundamental concepts and performance of basic skills; demonstrates sufficient quality of performance to be considered satisfactory or adequate or competent or capable in the course |
| 5 (Credit) | 65 - 74 |
Demonstrated evidence of proficient achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: Demonstrates ability to use and apply fundamental concepts and skills of the course, going beyond mere replication of content knowledge or skill to show understanding of key ideas, awareness of their relevance, some use of analytical skills, and some originality or insight |
| 6 (Distinction) | 75 - 84 |
Demonstrated evidence of advanced achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: Demonstrates awareness and understanding of deeper and subtler aspects of the course, such as ability to identify and debate critical issues or problems, ability to solve non-routine problems, ability to adapt and apply ideas to new situations, and ability to invent and evaluate new ideas |
| 7 (High Distinction) | 85 - 100 |
Demonstrated evidence of exceptional achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: Demonstrates imagination, originality or flair, based on proficiency in all the learning objectives for the course; work is interesting, surprising, exciting, challenging or erudite |
Additional course grading information
A final percentage mark will be rounded to the nearest whole number (e.g. 64.50 and above will be rounded to 65 and 64.49 and below will be rounded down to 64.)
Supplementary assessment
Supplementary assessment is available for this course.
Additional assessment information
Assignment Submission
Assignments are to be submitted via Turnitin, as MS Word or PDF formats.ﾠ
What is TurnitIn?
Turnitin is an electronic assignment submission tool. The tool provides your Course Coordinator with:
- a record of the exact submission time of an assignment
- an originality report indicating the percentage of your work that is an exact match of existing materials within the Turnitin database.
Instructions on how to submit an assignment using Turnitin are located on the UQ Library websiteﾠSubmit your Turnitin assignment - Library Guide
Note:
When submitting, to check that you have chosen the correct file on theﾠPreview Submissionﾠpage and click on theﾠSubmit to Turnitinﾠbutton. ﾠ
Remember to download yourﾠdigital receiptﾠin yourﾠAssignment inboxﾠto confirm successful submission.
If a submission cannot be successfully completed, email a copy of the assessment task to the Course Administrator. For contact details refer to section 3 of the course profile.
Recording of assessment
As per Section 7 of Assessment Procedures
Learning resources
You'll need the following resources to successfully complete the course. We've indicated below if you need a personal copy of the reading materials or your own item.
Library resources
Find the required and recommended resources for this course on the UQ Library website.
Additional learning resources information
Further examples of stories
Adair, D. (2015). Athletes of influence? The role model refrain in sport. The Conversation. 19 December, https://theconversation.com/athletes-of-influence-the-role-model-refrain-in-sport-52569
Barry, B. (2017) Fleece of the Century. The New York Times. 27 August. Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/27/sports/mayweather-mcgregor-fight.html.
CBC News (2018) Indigenous-led bicycle tours combine history with sport. 1 August. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LH42fuICJLY.
Epstein, D. (2014) Are athletes really getting faster, better, stronger? Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8COaMKbNrX0.
Gard, M. (2013). It’ll end in tears: Why athletes cry and what it means. The Conversation. 3rd February, https://theconversation.com/itll-end-in-tears-why-athletes-cry-and-what-it-means-11844.
Kitson, R. (2015) Bigger, fitter, faster: why rugby union is too strong for its own good. The Guardian. 14 February. Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/sport/blog/2015/feb/13/bigger-fitter-faster-rugby-union-too-strong.
Klugman, M., & Osmond, G. (2013). A game whose time has come: Winmar, Goodes and race in the AFL.ﾠThe Conversation. Retrieved from https://theconversation.com/a-game-whose-time-has-come-winmar-goodes-and-race-in-the-afl-19695
Neighmond, P. (2015) Why we play sports: winning motivates, but can backfire, too. NPR. 31 August. Retrieved from https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2015/07/16/423210711/why-we-play-sports-winning-motivates-but-can-backfire-too
Sedaris, D. (2014) Stepping out: living the fitbit life, The New Yorker, June 30, http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2014/06/30/stepping-out-3
Further reading (Articles)
Conn, D., 2012. Follow the Money. London Review of Books. 34(16), pp. 25-26. Retrieved from https://www.lrb.co.uk/v34/n16/david-conn/follow-the-money.
Evers, C. (2008). Queer waves. Kurungabaa: A journal of literature, history and ideas from the sea, July, 1(2). Retrieved from http://kurungabaa.net/2008/07/21/queer-waves/
Gray, H. (2014) Football under capitalism: the rich exploit a working class sport. Socialist Appeal, 15 September. https://www.socialist.net/football-under-capitalism-the-rich-exploit-a-working-class-sport.htm
Hajkowicz, S.A, Cook, H., Wilhelmseder, L. & Boughen, N. (2013). The future of Australian sport: Megatrends shaping the sports sector over coming decades, A consultancy report for the Australian Sportsﾠﾠﾠﾠ Commission. CSIRO: Australia. http://golfnetworkadmin.gamznhosting.com/site/_content/document/00017554-source.pdf
Nelson, A. (2009). Sport, physical activity and urban Indigenous young people, Australian Aboriginal Studies, (2), 101-111.
Osmond, G. & Phillips, M. G. (2018) Indigenous Women's Sporting Experiences: Agency, Resistance and Nostalgia. Australian Journal of Politics & History, 64(4), 561-575.
Rhodes, D. (2016). Sport England figures show drop in sports activity since London 2012, BBC News, 16 June, http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-36540017?ocid
ﾠ
Further reading (Books)
Andrews, D. L., & Jackson, S. J. (Eds.). (2002)ﾠSport stars: The cultural politics of sporting celebrity. Routledge.
Andrews, D.L. (2006)ﾠSport—Commerce—Culture: Essays on Sport in Late Capitalist Era.ﾠNew York: Peter Lang.
Bauman, Z., Jacobsen, M. H., & Tester, K. (2016)ﾠWhat Use is Sociology?: Conversations with Michael Hviid Jacobsen and Keith Tester. Oxford: Polity Press.
Giulianotti, R. (2005) Sport: A Critical Sociology. Cambridge: Polity Press.
Hargreaves, J. (1994) Sporting Females: Critical Issues in the History and Sociology of Women's Sports. New York: Routledge.
Hargreaves, J. & Vertinsky, P. (Eds.). (2006) Physical Culture, Power, and the Body. New York: Routledge.
Humphreys, J. (2008) Foul Play: What's Wrong With Sport. Icon Books: Cambridge.
Farrington, N., Kilvington, D., Price, J. and Saeed, A.ﾠ(2012) Boxing: ‘Race’ on the ropes, (Chapter 5)ﾠinﾠRace, Racism and Sports Journalism,ﾠpp. 68-83. London: Routledge.ﾠ
Frost, L. (2005) Immortals: Football People and the Evolution of Australian Rules. John Wiley & Sons Australia: Milton.
Hutchins, B. & Rowe, D. (2012)ﾠSport Beyond Television: The Internet, digital media and the rise of networked media sportﾠ(Vol. 40). Routledge.
Hylton. K. (2008) Introduction - defining key terms. (Chapter 1) In 'Race' and Sport: Critical Race Theory,ﾠ pp. 1-21. London: Routledge.ﾠ
Klugman, M. & Osmond, G. (2013)ﾠBlack and proud: the story of an iconic AFL photo. NewSouth.
Lenskyj, H. J. (2012)ﾠBest Olympics Ever?: The Social Impacts of Sydney 2000. SUNY Press.
Lupton, D. (2016) The Quantified Self. Cambridge, UK: Polity Press.
Markula, P., & Pringle, R. (2006) Foucault, sport and exercise: Power, knowledge and transforming the self. New York, NY: Routledge.
Messner, M. A. & Sabo, D. F. (1994) Sex, violence and power in sports: Rethinking masculinity. Freedom, Calif.: Crossing Press.
Schultz, J. (2014)ﾠQualifying Times: Points of Change in US Women's Sport. University of Illinois Press.
Thorpe, H. (2011)ﾠSnowboarding Bodies in Theory and Practice. Palgrave Macmillan.
Tinning, R. (2010) Pedagogy and Human Movement: Theory, Practice, Research. London: Routledge
Wheaton, B. (Ed.). (2004) Understanding lifestyle sports: Consumption, identity and difference. London: Routledge.
ﾠ
Learning activities
The learning activities for this course are outlined below. Learn more about the learning outcomes that apply to this course.
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Please select
| Learning period | Activity type | Topic |
|---|---|---|
Week 1 (22 Jul - 28 Jul) |
Lecture |
Week 1: Introduction What is sociology? What is sport? Why have a sociology of sport? Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L05, L06 |
Week 2 (29 Jul - 04 Aug) |
Lecture |
Week 2: Division Examines the ways that sport assesses and divides people based upon supposed difference. Focus on race, sex, gender, and disability. Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L05, L06 |
Workshop |
Week 2 Workshop Students are to read one of the assigned readings in preparation for reading familiarisation activity. Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04, L05, L06 |
|
Week 3 (05 Aug - 11 Aug) |
Lecture |
Week 3: Colonisation On whose land do you play? How should we understand historical and contemporary relationships between sport and Indigenous peoples? Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L05, L06 |
Workshop |
Week 3 Workshop Students to read one of the assigned readings in preparation for practice quiz. Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04, L05, L06 |
|
Week 4 (12 Aug - 18 Aug) |
Lecture |
Week 4: Activism How has sport been activated for change by oppressed and marginalised groups? What is the role of sport in political and ideological progress? Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L05, L06 |
Week 5 (19 Aug - 25 Aug) |
Lecture |
Week 5: Politics How much does an Olympic medal cost? How does sport influence where your votes and taxes go? What is the role of sport in geopolitics? Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L05, L06 |
Workshop |
Week 5 Workshop Students to read one of the assigned readings in preparation for quiz #1 which will be held in this class. Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04, L05, L06 |
|
Week 6 (26 Aug - 01 Sep) |
Lecture |
Week 6: Saviour Does sport have a saviour complex? What is sport for development ? Are these programs genuinely useful, or new forms of cultural imperialism? Can sport save the environment? Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L05, L06 |
Workshop |
Week 6 Workshop Students to read one of the assigned readings in preparation for Quiz #2 which will be held in this class. Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04, L05, L06 |
|
Week 7 (02 Sep - 08 Sep) |
Lecture |
Week 7: Community GUEST LECTURE. How do people build relationships and identities around sport and leisure? Examinations of alternative sport communities, fan cultures, refugee politics, and nationalism. Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L05, L06 |
Workshop |
Week 7 Workshop Students to read one of the assigned readings in preparation for Quiz #3 which will be held in this class. Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04, L05, L06 |
|
Week 8 (09 Sep - 15 Sep) |
Lecture |
Week 8: Injury Examines the pain and pleasure of risky sports. Why do we play games that endanger our physical and mental health? Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L05, L06 |
Workshop |
Week 8 Workshop Students to read one of the assigned readings in preparation for Quiz #4 which will be held in this class. Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04, L05, L06 |
|
Week 9 (16 Sep - 22 Sep) |
Lecture |
Week 9: Harm In what ways does sport promote behaviours and activities that cause off-field harm? Focus on intimate partner violence, rape culture, and sports betting. Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L05, L06 |
Workshop |
Week 9 Workshop Students to read one of the assigned readings in preparation for Quiz #5 which will be held in this class. Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04, L05, L06 |
|
Week 10 (30 Sep - 06 Oct) |
Lecture |
Week 10: Surveillance What are the ethics and implications of health and wellness cultures in sport, exercise and leisure? How and why are bodies watched, measured, and improved through sport and exercise? Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L05, L06 |
Workshop |
Week 10 Workshop Assignment preparation and consultations. Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04, L05, L06 |
|
Week 11 (07 Oct - 13 Oct) |
Lecture |
Week 11: Entertainment An examination of the sports media cultural complex. Whose interests are represented in sports media and whose are marginalised or damaged? What are the ethics and implications of emerging forms of digital sports media? Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04, L05, L06 |
Workshop |
Week 11 Workshop Student WIP presentations in this class. Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L05, L06 |
|
Week 12 (14 Oct - 20 Oct) |
Lecture |
Week 12 Lecture Student WIP Presentations in this class. Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L05, L06 |
Workshop |
Week 12 Workshop Student WIP Presentations in this class. Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04, L05, L06 |
|
Week 13 (21 Oct - 27 Oct) |
Lecture |
Week 13: Conclusion Student WIP Presentations in this class. Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L05, L06 |
Policies and procedures
University policies and procedures apply to all aspects of student life. As a UQ student, you must comply with University-wide and program-specific requirements, including the:
- Student Code of Conduct Policy
- Student Integrity and Misconduct Policy and Procedure
- Assessment Procedure
- Examinations Procedure
- Reasonable Adjustments - Students Policy and Procedure
Learn more about UQ policies on my.UQ and the Policy and Procedure Library.
School guidelines
Your school has additional guidelines you'll need to follow for this course: