CMNS 324: Media, Sports and Popular Culture  Lectures: Wednesdays 14:30 - 17:20 HCC 1900 Instructors: Sara M. Grimes and Danielle J. Deveau Tutorials: Weds. (D101 & D107) 11:30, (D102 & D108) 12:30, (D103) 13:30, (D104) 17:30, (D105) 18:30, (D106) 19:30 D101, D102 & D103 in room HCC 2945 D104, D105, D106, D107 & D108 in room HCC 2050 Course Description: The objective of this course is to critically examine the changing relationship between sports and the media within western popular cultures. We will begin with an historical overview of the sport and media industries, and an introduction to some of the key themes and concepts that will be explored over the course of the semester. During the second section, strong emphasis will be placed on the political economic dimensions of sports media, including production, marketing and commodity flows; the commodification of youth sports and "lifestyle" sports; labour issues and athletes’ rights. In section three, we will examine media, sport and the politics of “identities”, including national identities and globalization; sports subcultures; the representation of gender, race and ethnicity within sports media; and popular depictions of sports and athletes. The final section will explore the social, cultural and political meanings of the sporting “spectacle”, as well as the impact of media technologies (both old and new) on sports performance and spectatorship. Discussions will touch upon a wide range of issues and theoretical approaches, with examples drawn from a variety of sports and sporting practices. Required Text: David Rowe (Ed.) Critical Readings: Sport, Culture and the Media, Open University Press, 2004. + Supplemental weekly (required) readings, which will be accessible through this site and through WebCT Course Organization: This course consists of a weekly 3-hour lecture and a 1-hour tutorial. Course Evaluation: Tutorial Participation 10% Mini Field Study 10% 2 Short Essay Assignments (15% each) 30% Mid-Term Exam (In Class) 25% Final Exam (During Exam Period) 25% The school expects that the grades awarded in this course will bear some reasonable relation to established university-wide practices with respect to both levels and distribution of grades. In addition, The School will follow Policy S10.01 with respect to Academic Integrity, and Policies S10.02, S10.03 and S10.04 as regards Student Discipline (note: as of May 1, 2009 the previous T10 series of policies covering Intellectual Honesty (T10.02) and Academic Discipline (T10.03) have been replaced with the new S10 series of policies). |