Center: 
Barcelona
Discipline(s): 
Anthropology
Sociology
Course code: 
AN/SO 320A
Terms offered: 
Fall
Spring
Summer
Credits: 
3
Language of instruction: 
English
Instructor: 
Dawn Hiscock
Description: 

This course will examine various aspects of the relationship between sport and society in Spain. We will examine both the impact of sport on Spanish society and the influence of society on the practice of sport in Spain. The course begins with a consideration of general theoretical questions in the study of sport before moving on to an account of the historical development of sports in general and in Spain in particular. The impact of social institutions on sports is examined in sections on the economy and the business of sports clubs. The first half of the course ends with a consideration of the ways in which sport can be used by the media as a political tool. Following the midterm, we examine the reciprocal influences of sport on violence, gender, race, ethnic and national identities in Spain and the bullfight.  (3 credits)

Attendance policy: 

Attendance is mandatory for all IES classes, including field studies. Any exams, tests, presentations, or other work missed due to student absences can only be rescheduled in cases of documented medical or family emergencies. If a student misses more than three classes in any course half a letter grade will be deducted from the final grade for every additional absence. Seven absences in any course will result in a failing grade.

Learning outcomes: 

By the end of the course students are able:

·         To recognise and be able to undertake realistic and accurate comparisons between the role of sport in Spanish society and other societies;

·         To critically analyse the historical development of sports in general, and Spanish sports in particular, from a sociological perspective;

·         To apply diverse social theories when analysing sports as social phenomena;

·         To assess the interrelated social, cultural, political and economic dimensions of contemporary sports;

·         To discuss and investigate controversial and conflictive issues in sports.

Method of presentation: 

Lectures: These will provide students with the theoretical constructs and concepts used within the course and also to clarify content issues and application

Field studies: These involve activities and visits off site to see first hand the concepts discussed in class. These include FC Barça, The Olympic Museum and facilities.

Class debates and discussion: These serve to facilitate further understanding and application of concepts covered in class lectures and through experience gained by living and studying in Barcelona.

Analysis of audio-visual materials: Use of a variety of audio and web based materials brings concepts and issues to life and allows for students to fully appreciate the issues being discussed throughout the course

Reader and Moodle site: Additional materials to back up the class lecturers will be found on Moodle through with current information can be delivered to students throughout the course

Field study: 

Olympic Museum and Facilities

Required work and form of assessment: 

Participation (10%); Project 1 (25%); Research Project (40%); final exam (25%)

content: 

Session 1: Introduction. An overview of the terminology and concepts to be studied.     

Session 2: Defining sport: Castells  - an interactive review of a Catalan sport/culture?    Coakley, Jay. (2004). Sports in Society: Issues and Controversies, NewYork: McGraw-Hill, 2- 27

Session 3: Theoretical Approaches to Studying Sports: functionalism and conflict theories.        Coakley, Jay. (2004). Sports in Society: Issues and Controversies,

NewYork: McGraw-Hill, 28- 53

Session 4: Theoretical Approaches to Studying Sports: critical theories and symbolic interactionalist approaches.        Coakley, Jay. (2004). Sports in Society: Issues and Controversies,

NewYork: McGraw-Hill, 28- 53

Session 5: The Historical Development of Sport: a global view from the Greeks to modern day. Coakley, Jay. (2004). Sports in Society: Issues and Controversies,

NewYork: McGraw-Hill, 54 - 87

Session 6: A History of Sport in Spain from the mid-18th Century.  Burns, Jimmy (1998). Barça: a people’s passion,London: Bloomsbury, 70 – 97.

Session 7: The Media and the Sporting Nation. National Newspapers

Session 8: The Media, the Nation and la seleccion.     National Newspapers

Session 9: Sport, Soccer and National Identities in Spain: the role of the media.    Llopis Goig, Ramon, (2008) “Identity, nation state and football in Spain: the evolution of nationalist feelings in Spanish Football” in Soccer and Society, Vol 9, No 1 January 2008, pp 56 - 63

Session 10: El Clasico: The Rivalry between FC Barça and Reial Madrid     

Session 11: From Sports Clubs to Businesses and the place of the fan.     Deloitte Football Money League 2011 & 2012

Session 12: The case of FC Barça        Deloitte Football Money League 2013

Session 13: Sport and State Politics on the International Stage: the sociological significance of mega-events.                                         Kennett, C; Moragas, M (2006) “Barcelona 1992: Evaluating the Olympic Legacy”, in Tomlinson, Alan; Christopher Young (eds.) 2006 National Identity and Global Sports Events: culture, politics, and spectacle in the Olympics and the football World Cup (New York: SUNY), 177 - 196

Session 14:Field Visit to Olympic Museum and facilities.       

Session 15: Deviance in Sports: issues and implications on the pitch .        Coakley, Jay. (2004). Sports in Society: Issues and Controversies,

NewYork: McGraw-Hill, 194 - 231

Session 16: Violence and

Soccer: hooliganism.              Dunning, Eric el al (1986)Spectator Violence at Football Matches:Toward a Sociological Explanation. The British Journal of Sociology Vol 37, No 2 (june 1986), pp. 221-244

Session 17: Violence, Masculinity and National Identity: the Bullfight .        MacClancy Jeremy (1996) “Female Bullfighting, Gender Stereotyping and the State” in Sport, Identity and Ethnicity.Oxford Berg Publishers UK, 69 - 85

Session 18: The Future of the Bullfight

Session 19: Gender and Sport in Spain.          Scraton, Sheila; Fasting, Kari; Pfister, Gertrud; Bunuel Heras, Ana. (1999). “It’s Still a Man’s Game?: The experiences of top-level European women footballers” in International Review for the Sociology of Sport, 34 (2): 99-111.

Session 20: Spanish Hockey Federation and Gender  

Session 21: Sport and the Gendered Body .   

Session 22: Race and Sport – issues in Spain. Coakley, Jay. (2004). Sports in Society: Issues and Controversies, NewYork: McGraw-Hill, 280 – 319.

Session 23: Sport and immigration in Spain.    Kennett, Chris. (2005): Sport, immigration and multiculturality [online article]. Barcelona: Centre d’Estudis Olímpics UAB. <http://olympicstudies.uab.es/pdf/wp103_eng.pdf>

Session 24: Course review and Exam preparation.    

Required readings: 

            Burns, Jimmy (1998). Barça: a people’s passion,London: Bloomsbury, 70 - 97

Coakley, Jay. (2004). Sports in Society: Issues and Controversies, NewYork: McGraw-Hill, 2- 27

            Coakley, Jay. (2004). Sports in Society: Issues and Controversies, NewYork: McGraw-Hill, 28- 53

            Coakley, Jay. (2004). Sports in Society: Issues and Controversies, NewYork: McGraw-Hill, 54 - 87

            Coakley, Jay. (2004). Sports in Society: Issues and Controversies, NewYork: McGraw-Hill, 194 - 231

Coakley, Jay. (2004). Sports in Society: Issues and Controversies, NewYork: McGraw-Hill, 280 - 319

            Deloitte Football Money League 2011, 2012 and 2013

Dunning, Eric el al (1986)Spectator Violence at Football Matches:Toward a Sociological Explanation. The British Journal of Sociology Vol 37, No 2 (june 1986), pp. 221-244:

Kennett, C; Moragas, M (2006) “Barcelona 1992: Evaluating the Olympic Legacy”, in Tomlinson, Alan; Christopher Young (eds.) 2006 National Identity and Global Sports Events: culture, politics, and spectacle in the Olympics and the football World Cup (New York: SUNY), 177 - 196

Kennett, Chris. (2005): Sport, immigration and multiculturality [online article]. Barcelona: Centre d’Estudis Olímpics UAB. <http://olympicstudies.uab.es/pdf/wp103_eng.pdf>

Llopis Goig, Ramon, (2008) “Identity, nation state and football in Spain: the evolution of nationalist feelings in Spanish Football” in Soccer and Society, Vol 9, No 1 January 2008, pp 56 - 63

MacClancy Jeremy (1996) “Female Bullfighting, Gender Stereotyping and the State” in Sport, Identity and Ethnicity.Oxford Berg Publishers UK, 69 - 85

Scraton, Sheila; Fasting, Kari; Pfister, Gertrud; Bunuel Heras, Ana. (1999). “It’s Still a Man’s Game?: The experiences of top-level European women footballers” in International Review for the Sociology of Sport, 34 (2): 99-111.

Notes: 

This course is offered during the regular semester and in the summer. For summer sections, the course schedule is condensed, but the content, learning outcomes, and contact hours are the same.