The Politics Of Play: Issues, Controversies, And Possibilities For Sports, Games, And Leisure
UndergraduateLTU-SOC3SDS2024
Course information for 2024 intake View information for 2025 course intake
Enrolments for this course are closed, but you may have other options to start studying now. Book a consultation to learn more.
- Study method
- 100% online
- Assessments
- 100% online
- Entry requirements
- Prior study needed
- Duration
- 12 weeks
- Loan available
- HECS-HELP and FEE-HELP available
The Politics Of Play: Issues, Controversies, And Possibilities For Sports, Games, And Leisure
About this subject
On successful completion you will be able to:
- Understand classic and contemporary theories and arguments in the sociological study of sports, games, and leisure
- Apply sociological concepts to the analysis and evaluation of the influence of sports, games, and play in society
- Synthesise empirical research and demonstrate reflective thinking on the forms and role of sport, games, and play in everyday life
- Critically evaluate current public debates on contested social issues relating to value of sport and games in wider society
- Theories of play
- The function of games in everyday life
- Cheating, corruption, and deviance in sport
- Sport and culture
- Race, gender, sexuality and class in sport
- Politics and power in sport
- E-sports and the future of play
Games and play constitute a part of everyday life. Formal or informal, solitary or shared, physical or virtual, realistic or fantastical, organised or spontaneous, games are a means of escaping the ‘real’ world, or exploring it in new ways. Shared values can be reinforced through play, either by celebrating those who display ‘virtue’ in resplendent forms, or shaming those we believe to be ‘bad sports’. But how are these norms of ‘fair play’ shaped, by whom, and how can they change over time? How can urban sports such as skateboarding and parkour be seen as ‘subversive’ and framed as a public menace, and yet offer opportunities for personal expression and communal belonging? How are video games shaping novel understandings of embodiment, avatars, and interaction, and how are e-sports influencing the future of play?
Meanwhile, more ‘traditional’ forms of sport are undoubtedly among the most influential institutions in Australian society. No less than three Australian Test captains and tennis players have been recognised as Australian of the Year. Prime Ministers and other political leaders desperately spruik their team affiliations as markers of their relatability, and Victoria has not one, but two public holidays dedicated solely to sporting events. But why is this the case? Why does sport seem to possess such an outsized influence in Australian society? And what implications does this have for the values, norms, principles, persons, and spectacles that we celebrate? Sport can unite and foster community-building, but it can also divide and be rife with forms of exclusion based on race, gender, sexuality, faith, age, and class. In short, sport may purport to be ‘fair’ while in reality proving ‘foul’. In this subject, we address cultural theories of sports and games, and explore how forms of play can engender more pleasurable, affirming, and accommodative social worlds.
This is a Level 3, online, entirely asynchronous subject, meaning there are no live lectures or tutorials, and instead students can work through the content on their own schedules (while, of course, keeping in mind the assessment deadlines). In 2024, this Term One subject will commence on January 8 and should finish before the last week in February. However, it is possible to submit the final assessment prior to the deadline and complete the subject.
- Quizzes (600 word equivalent) (15%)
- Short Written Responses - 1800 words equivalent (45%)
- Research Essay - 1600 words (40%)
For textbook details check your university's handbook, website or learning management system (LMS).
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Entry requirements
Others
Prerequisites: Students must have completed 60 credit points of subjects at Level 2
Additional requirements
No additional requirements
Study load
- 0.125 EFTSL
- This is in the range of 10 to 12 hours of study each week.
Equivalent full time study load (EFTSL) is one way to calculate your study load. One (1.0) EFTSL is equivalent to a full-time study load for one year.
Find out more information on Commonwealth Loans to understand what this means to your eligibility for financial support.
What to study next?
Once you’ve completed this subject it can be credited towards one of the following courses
UndergraduateLAT-BUS-DEG
UndergraduateLAT-ART-DEG
Bachelor of Information Technology
UndergraduateLAT-TEC-DEG
Bachelor of Psychological Science
UndergraduateLAT-PYS-DEG
UndergraduateLAT-HSC-DEG
UndergraduateLAT-CYS-DEG
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