Course Description

The exploration of the many ways that sport and other forms of physical activity help us understand the human condition. We will use games, sports, and other activities to examine the biological and historical foundations of physical activity and consider the cultural, socioeconomic, and environmental dimensions of activity and sports in today’s society. Students will develop skills that will help them interpret information and apply course themes to contemporary issues.

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Athena Title

Anthropology of Sport

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Grading System

A - F (Traditional)

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Student Learning Outcomes

• Students will be able to understand how human adaptation has shaped physical activity patterns.
• Students will be able to describe the role that games and sports have played throughout human history.
• Students will be able to examine how sport and exercise are biological activities that connect people to their environment, culture, and society.
• Students will be able to effectively apply anthropological approaches to contemporary issues in sports and health.

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Topical Outline

• What is the anthropology of sport?
• Defining play, sport, and physical activity
• Playing games around the world
• Evolved to exercise
• Ball sports: archaeology, history, and today’s organized sports
• Running: adaptation, history, and today’s athletes
• New and extreme sports: identity, economics, technology, and today’s environments
• Ritual and fandom

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General Education Core

CORE V: Social Sciences

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Institutional Competencies

Communication

The ability to effectively develop, express, and exchange ideas in written, oral, or visual form.

Social Awareness & Responsibility

The capacity to understand the interdependence of people, communities, and self in a global society.

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