Ethics and Leadership in Kinesiology & Sport

Course Syllabus

Course Description and Objectives

This course examines ethical issues, reasoning, and theories in kinesiology and sport. Students will develop a deep understanding of sport ethics and embody a profound sense of integrity as a leader and citizen. Kinesiology and sport-specific ethical issues will be covered, such as performance enhancing substances, genetic modification, capitalism, athlete exploitation, deviance, violence, gambling, identity foreclosure, concussions, and fair play.

At the end of this course, students will be able to:

Demonstrate a basic understanding of ethical theories and models.
Analyze and discuss common ethical issues in kinesiology and sport through ethical theories and models.
Imagine ways to make kinesiology and sport more ethical.
Identify ethical standards in a kinesiology or sport career path of interest to you.

Ethical IRL

Each class begins with a discussion on current events happening in the world of sport and kinesiology. This helps student connect course content to scenarios occurring on a weekly basis.

Ethical Theories and Models

Students are introduced the a range of ethical theories and models. The theories offer differing perspectives on what is right/wrong, good/bad, authentic/inauthentic. The models create a structure through which an ethical dilemma can be analyzed and an ethical course of action can be determined.

Case Studies

Students use the ethical theories and models to analyze complex case studies from films. Analysis takes place through individual discussion board reflections. In addition, each week a team of guide leaders creates a lesson plan that guides the class through the ethical issue using moral reasoning.

Ethical Case Study Topics

Sport washing

FIFA Uncovered

Amateurism, NIL

College Sports Inc.

Abuse

Athlete A

Gene editing

Unnatural Selection

Performance enhancing substances

Icarus

Gambling and match fixing

Dirty Games: The Dark Side of Sport

Violence and concussions

League of Denial: The NFL's Concussion Crisis

Deviance, retirement, mental health

The Weight of Gold

Individual Reflections

Lamar

Sport Gambling

"Sport gambling is hedonistic in that it's all about individual pleasures and pursuits. There is no care for the athlete, rather the commodity, that a viewer places a wager on. An example of this actually comes from a friend of mine who recently claimed during a game, "I need him to get injured, so I can still win my fantasy game (DFS) this week."

Chen

Sporting Norms

"Many athletes and athletic organizations have established norms within the sports society that everyone just follows. Although norms can be a good thing they also open the door for abuse in sport. A good example is when coaches punish their team for losing a game by making them run until they're sick or even hospitalized. The coach is the superior, the "owner", and the one who calls the shots. As a result, sporting norms can cause harm."

Guide Leader Presentations

The purpose of this assignment is for students to work together to build a three part lesson plan that guides the class through an assigned topic using moral reasoning. Through this assignment students also learn to present in a range of formats (formal, role play, facilitator).

Part I Background (formal presentation): Give the audience background knowledge that will assist them in making ethical decisions related to your topic (e.g., doping, concussions).

Part II Application (role play): Create a short role play scenario or two that helps us connect your topic to local ethical dilemmas that professionals in kinesiology and sport might encounter. For example, concussions are a topic that athletic trainers, athletes, and coaches will deal with regularly. Therefore, the people in your group will take on these roles and re-create an ethical dilemma that they might encounter.

Part III Film Analysis (facilitate): For the last part of your presentation, you will guide the class through a theoretical analysis of the film. To do this, your group will create and facilitate an engaging discussion or activity among your classmates.

Exemplar Assignment

Assignment Description

Professional Code of Ethics Infographic

Students create an infographic that summarizes the code of ethics in their profession of interest.

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