Universität Wien
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240526 VO MM3 The Anthropology of Sports: Concepts, Potentials, Examples (2024W)

5.00 ECTS (2.00 SWS), SPL 24 - Kultur- und Sozialanthropologie

The lecturer can invite students to a grade-relevant discussion about partial achievements. Partial achievements that are obtained by fraud or plagiarized result in the non-evaluation of the course (entry 'X' in certificate). The plagiarism software 'Turnitin' will be used.
The use of AI tools (e.g. ChatGPT) for the attainment of partial achievements is only allowed if explicitly requested by the course instructor.
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Details

Language: English

Examination dates

Lecturers

Classes (iCal) - next class is marked with N

  • Monday 28.10. 16:45 - 18:15 Hörsaal A, NIG 4.Stock
  • Thursday 31.10. 16:45 - 18:15 Hörsaal A, NIG 4.Stock
  • Monday 04.11. 16:45 - 18:15 Hörsaal A, NIG 4.Stock
  • Thursday 07.11. 16:45 - 18:15 Hörsaal C, NIG 4. Stock
  • Monday 11.11. 16:45 - 18:15 Hörsaal A, NIG 4.Stock
  • Thursday 14.11. 16:45 - 18:15 Hörsaal C, NIG 4. Stock
  • Monday 18.11. 16:45 - 18:15 Seminarraum D, NIG 4. Stock
  • Thursday 21.11. 16:45 - 18:15 Hörsaal C, NIG 4. Stock
  • Monday 25.11. 16:45 - 18:15 Hörsaal A, NIG 4.Stock
  • Thursday 28.11. 16:45 - 18:15 Hörsaal C, NIG 4. Stock
  • Monday 02.12. 16:45 - 18:15 Hörsaal A, NIG 4.Stock
  • Thursday 05.12. 16:45 - 18:15 Hörsaal C, NIG 4. Stock

Information

Aims, contents and method of the course

Sports have become highly influential spheres of popular culture and also act as trend setters in visual culture and for people´s lifestyles worldwide. We can see that today sports influence, and constitute themselves, major social institutions, and therefore have considerable effect on people’s lives.
This course provides an overview of the history of social anthropological research on sports – both competitive and recreational – and analyzes developments in local, ethnic, national and global sports scenes.
First, important theories and concepts, from ancient thoughts up to recent research approaches, which determined the notions of sports and play and came to grips with sports’ origins, their diverse cultural traits, body concepts, and gender aspects as well as with sports’ political and other utilizations, will be presented and discussed. Thereafter the course will focus on analyses of sportive activities as forms of social interactions of the people engaged. Examples presented and discussed will range from local or ethnic sports to global trends and international mega-events. It will be shown how phenomena and developments, such as globalization, migration, transnationality, social disparity, climate change, exclusion, nationalisms, identity constructions and many more, influence – in often contradictory ways – sports and the people engaged in them and how they navigate through those challenges. Particular focus will be laid on the manifold potentials of social anthropological research on sports, like its capacity to illuminate processes of colonization and decolonization, modernization, glocalization, construction of multiple identities, changes in body cultures, gender roles and more.
While this course is based on lectures by the teacher, students´ participation will be encouraged and highly appreciated and they shall prepare for the class sessions by reading mandatory as well as recommended literature.

Assessment and permitted materials

For performance evaluation an examination will take place in form of a written closed-book exam to be taken in-person at the university. The first date for this exam is 9 December 2024. Bonus points can be received for regularly attending the classes and actively participating in them.

Minimum requirements and assessment criteria

Grading scale:
91-100 points: 1 (“sehr gut” = excellent)
81-90 points: 2 (“gut” = good)
71-80 points: 3 (“befriedigend” = satisfactory)
61-70 points: 4 (“genügend” = sufficient)
0-60 points: 5 (“nicht genügend” = insufficient)
Thus, the benchmark for passing the course is to obtain at least 61 points.

Examination topics

The possible examination topics will be all the topics presented and discussed in class as well as the contents of the mandatory readings. The exam will consist of both multiple-choice and open-ended questions. For answering the latter critical thinking should be applied.

Reading list

Mandatory and/or recommended readings will be announced topic by topic as the semester will progress.

Association in the course directory

Last modified: Tu 28.01.2025 13:06