AN/SO 320A - Sports and Society in Spain

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 including the effect of socio-cultural activities such as the bullfight and castells.