WEEKS 1-3
"Homo Ludens" (Man the Player) by Johan Huizinga
Getting Started! Games, Play, and Sports
Course Basics
Course Readings
Grading Policy
Understanding Play and Sport -
Play (extrinsic and causality of extrinsic and benefits of fun in play -still extrinsic)
Relationship between Education and Movement
Intrinsic vs. Extrinsic Value
Education vs. Schooling
Why Do We Like to Play? (Sport Philosophy)
Values of Play - meaning, freedom, excellence
The Elements of Play by Scott Eberle
Human being as pre-rational
Play as pleasure - sport as fun.
The Eighty Yard Run by Irwin Shaw
Story - sport as meaning
Competence and Freedom
Autotelic vs. Exotelic play
Play as an attitude vs. a thing
Sensuosity of play
Features, Forms and Abuses of Play
The Origins of Modern Sport (Sport in Antiquity)
Bronze Age - Minoan Bull Jumping
Greek Sparta, Athens and the Olympic Games
Graded: Readings, week 1, 2, and 3 Quizzes. “Play” essay, Canvas responses
WEEK 4-5
Deep Play and Elevated Sport
Tests and Contests (Players “Contract”)
Testing oneself against the standard of self
Contest involves another player/standard
Four Dichotomies Where Play Loses
Theory vs. Skill
Mental Skill vs. Physical Skill
Useful Phys. Skill vs. Useless Phys. Skill
U.P.S Art vs. U.P.S. Not Art
Propositional Knowledge vs. Ability (Knowing that vs. knowing how - Dichotomy 1)
Initiation view of Education
Strong vs. Weak Knowing
Dualism vs. Holism (Dichotomy 2)
Graded: Week 4-5 Quiz, Fragile Generation paper, Canvas responses.
WEEK 6-7
Globalization, Nationalism, and the Politics of Sports
The Globalization of Sports (The Olympic Movement)
Nationalism and Sports (1936 Berlin Olympics), (1980 Lake Placid Olympics- USA, Russia)
Athletes and Social Activism (1968 Olympics B.P.S, Colin K., NFL Anthem Policy, and Response and USA Women’s Soccer - pay issue, money specifics more money, LGBTQ support, 2) Purdue Boilermakers.
Reflection on Opening Ceremonies article by William Rhoden
Graded: Week 6-7 Quiz, reflection paper
WEEK 8-9
Race, Cultural Identity, and the Sports World
Race and American Sports (Integration through today)
The Native American Mascot Controversy (NCAI, Team Names, Mass. Law, Maine debate, research, Europe,
The Social Demographics of Sports (Choice and Opportunity)
Graded: Week 8-9 Quiz, Canvas responses.
WEEK 10-11
Gender, Sexuality, and the Rise of Women's Sports
A Short History of Women’s Sports
Women’s Sports Today (Cam Newton "incident" and response)(Becky Hammon Hiring)
The “Sporting Life” of Homophobia
The Transgender Athlete
Graded: Week 10-11 Quiz, Canvas responses
WEEK 12-14
Why Do We Care So Much about Sports?
Doping and Performance Enhancement (Winning at what cost?) (9.79, Icarus)
The Phenomenon of the Fan
The Dark Side of Fandom
Father Time and the Athlete
American College Athletics
Graded: Week 12-14 Quiz, Canvas responses.
WEEK 15
The Megabusiness of Sports
The Fitness Revolution
The Hypercommercialization of Sports
The trivialization of sport from ritual to entertainment
From ritual to rationality
From ritual to professionalization
The Rise of Sports Video Games
Graded: Week 15 Quiz
Graded: Week 16 Final Project.