Sports and Society in Spain - 320B

This course will examine various aspects of the relationship between sport and society in Spain, with a particular emphasis on soccer and bullfighting. 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 sports 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 media. The first half of the course ends with a consideration of the ways in which sport can be used by governments as a political tool. Following the midterm, we examine the reciprocal influences of sport on violence, gender, race and ethnic and national identities in Spain.