Course Syllabus

AEM2030

Sports as Society: The Science, Ethics, and Business of Sport

SPR 2023

MW 11:25-12:40PM

Plant Science Building  114

 

John M. Doris

doris@cornell.edu

           314.601.5450

Office Hours: M 10:15AM-11:15AM, or by appt.

TA:

Parnikaa Mitra

pam326@cornell.edu

 

COURSE DESCRIPTION:

According to polling, 60% of Americans identify as sports fans, and 75% of Americans say they work out regularly.  All this watching and working costs: in a recent year, Americans spent $56 billion on sporting events, $33 billion on athletic equipment, and $19 billion on gym memberships (compared to 27 billion spent on books).  So much time and money spent suggests that people find sports intrinsically valuable.  And so they do.  But there’s something else going on as well: sport is a window on lots of other stuff that matters, and probably matters more than sport. As a wine enthusiast once said to me, “We don’t spend all our time talking about wine because wine itself matters so much, we talk about wine ‘cause it gives us a way of talking about what really matters.”

This course is built around having that kind of conversation: talking about sports as a way of taking about what really matters. The perspectives of sports fans and athletes are very welcome; we can have a better conversation about the big stuff if we have a rich understanding of, and appreciation of, sport itself. But we will also attend to pressing, perennial, and difficult questions having to do with such issues as human nature, gender, race, justice, and – yes -- the meaning of life.

Given sports’ prominence in our lives, it’s a little surprising that there isn’t more  scholarly writing on sports.  It’s perhaps less surprising that too much of the scholarly writing that exists has a way of turning the dynamic into the dreary.   We’ll read some academic scholarly offerings, but we’ll also read material from more popular venues, where much of the best writing on sports turns up.  We’ll use these and other sources to shine some light on our cultures and, hopefully, ourselves.

Learning Outcomes:

This course is designed to help us better understand:

  1. The influence of sporting culture on culture more broadly.
  2. The way in which broader cultural issues are manifested -- and contested --in sporting culture.
  3. How sports and fitness culture impact human well-being, both positively and negatively.
  4. How sporting institutions impact the communities in which they are situated.
  5. How to assess arguments concerning social and ethical issues.
  6. How to assess empirical evidence, and the use of empirical evidence in arguments.

 

SCHEDULE:

  1. Why Sport?: The Biological and Cultural Origins of Sporting Competition

Furley, P. (2018) “What Modern Sports Competitions Can Tell us about Human Nature”

Guttman, A. (1978) “From Ritual to Record”

 

  1. Grace n’ Grit: Talent, Practice, and Excellence

Gladwell, M. (2008), Outliers: The Story of Success, Chapter 2, “The 10,000 Hour Rule.”

Macnamara, B. N., Hambrick, D. Z., & Oswald, F. L. (2014). “Deliberate Practice and Performance in Music, Games, Sports, Education, and Professions A Meta-Analysis.”

Baker, J. & Wattle, N. (2018) “Innate Talent in Sport: Separating Myth from Reality”

 

  1. Jacked: PED’s, Fairness, and the Nature of Nature

Bell, C. “Bigger, Stronger, Faster” (2018) Film.

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1151309/

Noë, A. (2013) “Is It Fair for Baseball to Reject Drugs but Embrace Surgery?”

Noë, A. (2012) “Legalize It: An Argument for ‘Doping’ in Sports”

Beck, J. (2013).  “The Only Good Reason to Ban Steroids in Baseball: To Prevent an Arms Race.”

Loland, S. (2018). “Performance-Enhancing Drugs, Sport, and the Ideal of Natural Athletic Performance”

 

  1. Sport, Gender, and Justice: From Title IX to Non-Binary Sport

English, J. (1995) “Sex Equality in Sports”

Epstein, R.A. (2011) “Repeal Title IX”

North, A. (2018) “‘I Am a Woman and I Am Fast’: What Caster Semenya’s Story Says About Gender and Race in Sports”

Noë, A. (2014) “Why Can’t Dutee Run?”

Radnofky, Louise, “The Race to Replace the Binary of Men and Women’s Sports”

 

  1. Sport, Race, and Justice: The Athlete as Activist

Martin, L. L. (2018) “The Politics of Sports and Protest: Colin Kaepernick and the Practice of Leadership”

Bryant, H. (2020). “Police, Protest, Pandemic and the End of the 9/11 Era”

https://www.espn.com/espn/story/_/id/29979519/police-protest-pandemic-end-9-11-era

Bieler, D. (2020) “LeBron James, Told by Laura Ingraham to ‘Shut Up and Dribble,’ Calls Her Out Over Drew Brees”

Barclay, M. (2020) “I'm Boycotting Professional Sports Leagues That Endorse Black Lives Matter, And You Should, Too”

Mcknight, M. (2020) “How the Missouri Football Protest Changed College Sports Forever”

 

  1. Gladiators: Class, Race, Football, and Risk

Benson, P. (2017) “Big Football: Corporate Social Responsibility and the Culture and Color of Injury in America’s Most Popular Sport.”*

Bubar, J., & Stoffers, C. (2018) “Friday Night Lights Out?”

Gross, J. (2020) “For Many MMA Fighters, CTE Fears Are Already a Reality”

Reinke, T. (2017) “Is Football Too Violent for Christians?”

Bry, D. (2016) “American football is too dangerous, and it should be abolished”

 

  1. Sports at School: For & Against

Patrick, A. (2011) “The Benefits of Playing Sports in College”

Maslen, P. (2015) “The Social and Academic Benefits of Team Sports”

Kniffen, K. (2014) “High School Athletes Gain Lifetime Benefits”

Ripley, A. (2013) “The Case Against High-School Sports”

https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2013/10/the-case-against-high-school-sports/309447/

Cole, J. R. (2017) “Why Sports and Elite Academics Do Not Mix”

https://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2017/03/the-case-against-student-athletes/518739/

Golden, D., & Burke, D. (2019) “An Unseen Victim of the College Admissions Scandal: The High School Tennis Champion Aced Out by a Billionaire Family”

 

  1. Athletes Behaving Badly: Misconduct, Celebrity, and Redemption

Chapin, A., Gray, E. & Hamedy, S. (2020) “Kobe Bryant Wasn’t A Myth Or A Monster. He Was Human.”

Marcotte, A. (2020) “The Kobe Bryant Rape Case is Painful not Because of What it Says about Him, but about Us”

Van Karr, J. (2020) “Forgiveness, Redemption, and Kobe Bryant's Legacy”

 

  1. Bad Business: Stadiums, Cities, and Public Funds

Schein, D. D., Phillips, J. D., & Rider, C. (2017) “American Cities Held Hostage: Public Stadiums and Pro Sports Franchises”

Schroetenboer, B. (2019) “This Super Bowl Stinks in St. Louis, Still Burdened by Rams Dome Debt”

Rhoeden, W. C. (2019) “Warriors Aren’t Leaving Oakland, They are Abandoning Fans and the City”

 

  1. Picking Sides: Fandom, Loyalty, and the Meaning of Life

Serazio, M. (2013) “Just How much is Sports Fandom Like Religion”?

Moore, J.G. (2019) “Do You Really Hate Tom Brady?”*

Mumford, S. (2013) “Ways of Watching Sport”*

 

  1. Do It Yourselfers: Gym Rats, Couch Potatoes, and the Pursuit of Happiness

Lee, I.,  et al.  (2012) “Effect of Physical Inactivity on Major Non-communicable Diseases Worldwide”

Checkroud, S. R. (2018) “Association between Physical Exercise and Mental Health”

Markula, P. (2015) “Can We Exercise Too Much?”

Kale, S. (2019) “Gym, Eat, Repeat: The Shocking Rise of Muscle Dysmorphia”

Greif, M. (2017) “Against Exercise”

 

  1. Losing It: Aging, Declining, and Ending

Thompson, W. (2018) “When Winter Never Ends”

Minson, C. (2015) “How Does Aging Affect Athletic Performance?”

Miller, S. (2018) “What Happens as Baseball Players Age?

Reynolds, J. M. (2018) “The Extended Body: On Aging, Disability, and Well-being”

READINGS:

There is no textbook. Except where a link appears in the above schedule, all readings will be available on the course Canvas page (Modules>Sections).  All readings are required.

 

COURSEWORK:

3 in class, multiple choice exams, each 331/3% of grade

Exam Dates:

#1 Wednesday, February 22

#2 Monday, March 27

#3 Monday, May 8

We will not take attendance, but exams heavily emphasize material presented in class; attending lecture, and participating in/following discussion, is the most important component in mastering the material.

The exams will typically involve multiple-choice questions requiring not only recall of basic knowledge related to this course, but also critically thinking about subjects covered in the course. On other words, you will  need not only to “know the concepts,” but apply the concepts to the critical assessment of arguments and ideas in novel contexts.

To avoid disrupting the class, please be on time.  

To receive a passing mark, all coursework must be completed during the term.

If you require any accommodations, please contact the instructor as soon as possible

If you have any concerns about these policies, please contact an instructor as soon as possible.

 

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY:

You should be familiar with the Cornell Code of Academic Integrity, which covers plagiarism, cheating, and other forms of academic misconduct

http://archive.theuniversityfaculty.cornell.edu/AcadInteg/code.html

A guide to procedures, in the event of an allegation of academic misconduct:

https://theuniversityfaculty.cornell.edu/academic-integrity/guidelines-for-students/#ph6

STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES:

Your access in this course is important to us. Please request your accommodation letter early in the semester, or as soon as you become registered with SDS, so that we have adequate time to arrange your approved academic accommodations.

  • Once SDS approves your accommodation letter, it will be emailed to both you and me.  It is your responsibility to also email your accommodation letter to our TA. Please follow up with instructors to discuss the necessary logistics of your accommodations.
  • If you are approved for exam accommodations, please consult with instructors  at least two weeks before the scheduled exam date to confirm the testing arrangements.
  • If you experience any access barriers in this course, such as with printed content, graphics, online materials, or any communication barriers; reach out to me or SDS right away.
  • If you need an immediate accommodation, please speak with me after class or send an email message to me and SDS at sds_cu@cornell.edu.

If you have, or think you may have a disability, please contact Student Disability Services for a confidential discussion: sds_cu@cornell.edu, 607-254-4545, sds.cornell.edu. 

For students with testing accommodations, this course is participating in the SDS Alternative Testing Program for the Spring 2023 semester. If you have an approved testing accommodation, you must request it for this course and complete an Exam Request Form for each exam in this course via the SDS student portal by February 8th. Failure to do so may result in the inability to use your accommodation. 

Additionally, be aware of the following:

  • Scheduling for accommodated exams:
    • Daytime exams: Students are expected to start their accommodated exam at the same time as the main exam. Students with extended time accommodations who have a course immediately following this class will be scheduled for 8 a.m. and/or 5 p.m. on the same day. 
  • All exam logistics will be communicated to you from SDS (look out for emails from sds@accessiblelearning.mail.cornell.edu). Please note that confirmation about the exact time and room location for your accommodated exam will be communicated to you closer to the exam date (no later than 48 hours prior). Please do not contact me with questions about exam logistics, as I will not be able to answer them. All details are being managed by SDS; therefore, questions should be sent to sds-testing@cornell.edu.
  • Coordination of make-up exams (i.e., for students who have been granted prior permission by me to take the exam on a day other than the scheduled date of the main exam) will be handled by the TA, Parnikaa Mitra pam326@cornell.edu. The SDS Alternative Testing Program will not be involved in the logistics for any make-up exams. If you miss your scheduled accommodated exam, you should notify me, not SDS. 

For students with other academic accommodations (not testing-related), please follow up with me to discuss the necessary logistics of your accommodation(s).

 

DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION:

We are committed to students from all backgrounds and perspectives being well-served by this course, and the diversity that students bring to this class being viewed as a resource, strength and benefit. It is our intent that this course be respectful of diversity of all kinds: gender identity, sexuality, disability, age, socioeconomic status, ethnicity, race, nationality, religion, and culture.

Your suggestions are encouraged and appreciated. Please let me know ways to improve the effectiveness of the course for you personally, or for other students or student groups.

Given the challenging nature of some material discussed in this class, it is imperative that there be an atmosphere of mutual trust and respect. Some of the material in this course may evoke strong emotions -- please be respectful of others' emotions and be mindful of your own. Please let me know if something said or done in the classroom, by either the instructors or other participants, is offensive  or troubling.  It is emphatically not our intention to cause hurt or offense,  but if something of this nature occurs, please feel free to:

  • Discuss the situation with me. I am always open to listening to students' experiences, and want to work with students to find acceptable ways to process and address the issue.
  • Discuss the situation with the class. Chances are there  are other students in the class who had a similar response to the material.
  • Address the issue through another source such as your academic advisor, or a trusted faculty member. If for any reason you do not feel comfortable discussing the issue directly with me, I encourage you to seek out another, more comfortable avenue to address the issue.

 

To help promote an inclusive classroom, please let me know if:

  • You have a name and/or pronouns that differ from your official Cornell records.
  • There are circumstances affecting your ability to participate.
  • You feel like your performance in class is impacted by experiences outside of class.
  • Something was said in class that made you feel uncomfortable or marginalized.

STUDENT SUPPORT:

College students often experience issues that may impact academics or health,  such as  sleep problems, life events, relationship concerns, anxiety, or depression. If you or a friend is struggling, we strongly encourage you to seek support.

  • Academic Advising, Dyson: Dyson_OSS@cornell.edu or tinyurl.com/DysonAdvising
  • Academic Advising, Non-Dyson: https://covid.cornell.edu/students/advising/
  • Health Issues: https://health.cornell.edu/
  • Call Cornell Health at 607-255-5155 (24/7) to speak with a licensed therapist
  • Other Support (including options specifically for students of color and LGBTQ students)

  https://health.cornell.edu/resources/hotlines-text-lines