Socio-cultural Factors In Sports

This subject is available under ICMS undergraduate degrees, please click the button below to find an undergraduate course for you.

Subject Code:

SPO102A/SPO102B

Subject Rationale:

SPO102A

Sports plays a giant role in contemporary society worldwide and sport industry leaders are given high status in society. Few of us, however, pause to think about the larger questions of money, politics, race, gender, culture, and commercialisation that surround sports everywhere. Designed to demonstrate the importance of considering social and cultural aspects of sport, this course draws on the tools of anthropology, sociology, history, and other disciplines to give you new perspectives on the games we watch and play.

Covering issues of crucial importance to sportspeople, coaches, physical education instructors, media producers, and policy makers, this sport sociology course will provide you with the skills to look at sport in Australia and beyond, and to make informed decisions about your relationship to sport as a participant, or through your industry connections.

SPO102B

This subject provides a critical examination of the unique role of sports as a socio-cultural phenomenon, analysing its capacity to reflect and reproduce social class, race and ethnicity while shaping Australian society’s identity within the global community.

It delves into the diverse social, political and cultural forces influencing the digital sports industry, highlighting their transformative effects on contemporary practices and global perceptions. By exploring how socio-cultural differences inform the development and representation of sports, the subject offers nuanced insights into the dynamic interplay between local traditions and global trends.

Through an interdisciplinary approach, it emphasises the importance of diversity, inclusion and ethical considerations in understanding the societal implications of sports. Ultimately, the subject equips students with advanced analytical and practical competencies to critically engage with and address complex challenges within the globalised and increasingly interconnected field of sports management.

Learning Outcomes:

SPO102A

a) Explain the importance of sport as a socio-cultural activity.
b) Discuss how the unique nature of sport reflects on social class, race and ethnicity, and reproduces society.
c) Investigate different social, political and cultural influences on sport.
d) Exemplify how sport is developed by socio-cultural differences.

SPO102B

a) Explain the importance of sports as a socio-cultural activity
b) Examine how the unique nature of sports reflects on social class, race and ethnicity and reproduces Australian society in the global community
c) Investigate different social, political and cultural influences in the digital world of sports
d) Exemplify how sports are developed by socio-cultural differences

Student Assessment:

Note: (G) = Group assessment