The socio-historical dimension of physical activity and sport

Teacher(s)

de Geus Sebastiaan; Vanysacker Dries;

Language

French

Prerequisites

The prerequisite(s) for this Teaching Unit (Unité d’enseignement – UE) for the programmes/courses that offer this Teaching Unit are specified at the end of this sheet.

Main themes

• The history of sport and its contexts (political, social, ideological, cultural and educational). 
• The sociology of sport and physical activity: the influence of social classes, gender, sport for social change, the role of sport in community building, economic and commercial developments and the complex relationship between sport and physical activity. 

Learning outcomes

At the end of this learning unit, the student is able to :

Explain the different theories analysing the development and organisation of modern sport (1.1, 1.7, 2.1, 7.2, 7.3, 9.1; 9.2; 9.3).  Identify the social, cultural, national and global political issues that influence sport (1.1; 1.7, 7.2, 7.3, 9.1; 9.2; 9.3).  Explain and analyse the influence of major social, political, sporting and economic events on the development and organisation of modern sport and physical activity and on society (1.1; 1.7, 7.2, 7.3, 9.1; 9.2; 9.3).  Apply sociological concepts and theories to issues such as gender, ethnicity, class, identity, media and money in the context of sport (1.1, 1.7, 2.1, 7.2, 7.3, 7.4, 9.1; 9.2; 9.3).  Present a critical historical and sociological analysis of a specific sporting issue or event based on theory (1.1, 1.7, 9.1, 9.2, 9.3).

Content

SOCIOLOGY SECTION
•In this section of the LEPHY1349 module, we will explore the foundations and theories of the sociology of sport and physical activity.
•We will examine the influence of social classes and the complex relationship between sport and health.
•We will examine sociological aspects relating to deviant behaviour in sport, sport as a vehicle for social change, and the role of sport in community building.
•Part of the course will address the economic and commercial aspects of sport in our society.
•The course will conclude with a chapter on gender issues.
The emphasis is on the European context, with a particular focus on Belgium.
HISTORY SECTION
•This section of the course examines the history of modern sport and its contexts (political, ideological, cultural and educational) from its Anglo-Saxon origins (in the mid-19th century) and its introduction to continental Europe up to the present day.
•The emphasis will be on the European context, with a particular focus on Belgium.
•Using a historical text or source as a starting point, the three planned chapters will examine:
•1) the beginnings and development of modern sport and its establishment in Belgium;
•2) the Olympic Games reintroduced by Pierre de Coubertin, the challenges they faced in balancing amateurism and professionalisation, and the role of women in the history of the Olympics;
•3) the integration of modern sports, alongside gymnastics, into education systems. The final chapter also includes the compulsory reading of an article in English.

Teaching methods

This module will be taught in a lecture theatre.

Evaluation methods

Written examination with open-ended questions on the Sociology and History sections.
The Sociology section of this module accounts for 60% of the final mark and the History section for 40% of the final mark.
The pass mark will apply to this module: students must achieve a mark of >7/20 in each of the sections. Therefore, if, for example, a student is awarded a mark of ≤7/20 for the ‘Sociology’ section, the total mark will be equal to the mark for the ‘Sociology’ section (cut-off mark). The same applies to the ‘History’ section.

Other information

This course is reserved for FSM students. Access is possible to other UCLouvain students on the basis of an application to be submitted to the course coordinator

Online resources

Course materials: Course notes in the form of PowerPoint presentations and academic articles, which will be uploaded to Moodle.

Faculty or entity

> FSM