Course B
Sport and Society:
Why Sports are Less Than War but More Than a Game
Craig LaMay, Professor, Medill School of Journalism
Tuesdays, 1:00 – 2:30 p.m.
Sports are more than entertainment, more than pop culture. They are a social institution no less than education, religion, or the military. They are the oldest form of “reality television” and the most expensive, highest-earning media product in the world. Americans, no less than perhaps people from the England to Turkey to India, see sport as a metaphorical training ground for “life,” one reason politicians take such a keen interest in it. Life in this case includes industry and commerce, domestic and international politics, gender and sexuality, race and ethnic relations, religion and spirituality. In the United States, if you can name it, sports have an analog for it. This course considers sports in some of these various contexts, while also looking at international experiences and examples.
