SpMgt-367-tammycr-2025-12-01-05-13-12

Below is a syllabus template that includes WSU's required syllabus elements. 

 

Sport in American Society

SpMgt 367

Fall 2026

Credit Hours: 3

Prerequisites: SPMGT 276 or concurrent enrollment, or KINES 138 or concurrent enrollment.

Course Details

Day and Time: [tbd]

Meeting Location: [tbd]

 

Instructor Contact Information

Instructor Name: [tbd]

Instructor Contact Information: [office location, phone, email] [tbd]

Instructor Office Hours: [click here for best practices] [tbd]

 

TA Name: [tbd]

TA Contact Information: [office location, phone, email]: [tbd]

TA Office Hours: [click here for best practices] [tbd]

 

Course Description

Examination of the role of sport in contemporary American society as well as the relationship between physical activity, sport, and other social institutions.

 

Course Materials 

Books: Reading materials will be provided by the instructor

Other Materials: None

Fees: None

Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs) [add more lines if necessary]

Course Learning Outcomes

(students will be able to:)

Activities Supporting the Learning Outcomes Assessment of the Learning Outcomes
  • Demonstrate a holistic understanding on the role of physical activity, exercise, and sport in our society.
In-Class Discussion, Social Campaign, Group Presentation

Individual Writing Assignments, Module Quiz, Reflection Paper, Group Presentation, Final Exam

  • Apply sociological theories learned in class in various settings of physical activity and sport.
In-Class Discussion, Social Campaign, Written Assignment Individual Writing Assignment, Module Quiz, Reflection Paper, Group Presentation, Final Exam
  • Analyze both positive and negative repercussions that arise from contemporary physical activity and sport settings.

Assigned Readings, In-Class Discussion, Observation Assignment

 

Individual Writing Assignment, Module Quiz, Reflection Paper, Group Presentation, Final Exam
  • Critically evaluate the various forms of participation in physical activity, exercise, and sport to suggest ways to better utilize the transformative power embedded in physical activity, exercise, and sport participation.

Assigned Readings, In-Class Discussion, Observation Assignment

Individual Writing Assignment, Module Quiz, Reflection Paper, Group Presentation, Final Exam
  • Develop skills pertinent to materializing the social and cultural values of physical activity, exercise, and sport through designing projects.

In-Class Discussion, Social Campaign, Preparing for Group Presentation

Social Campaign Reflection Paper, Group Presentation

 


Course Schedule

[Please note that a WSU semester is 15 weeks + Thanksgiving/Spring Break. The schedule below does not include the break.]

Dates Lesson Topic Assignment Assessment

Week 1
Mon

Weds

Fri

 

Course Introduction

Intro to Sport Sociology

Syllabus Review/Contract

  

 

-

 -

Syllabus Review/Contract

Robben Island Assignment

  

 

Robben Island Individual Writing Assignment

Week 2

Mon

Weds

Fri

 

What is Socialization?

Play and Movement

Sport Participation 

 

Assigned (Required) Readings: 

Socialization through Sport

and In-Class Discussion

 

   In-Class discussion
Week 3

Mon

Weds

Fri

 

No Class (Holiday)

Current Trends in Youth Sport

Influential Factors of Youth Sport

   

Assigned (Required) Readings: 

Contemporary Grassroot and Youth Sport

and In-Class Discussion

   In-Class discussion
Week 4

Mon

Weds

Fri

 

What is Social Capital?

Social Capital and Spatial Dynamics

Physical Activity, Sport and Social Capital

   

Assigned (Required) Readings: 

Social Capital I

and In-Class Discussion

   In-Class discussion
Week 5

Mon

Weds

Fri

 

Social Capital and Society

Sport and Democracy

Sport Fandom and Democratic Behavior

  

Assigned (Required) Readings: 

Social Capital II

and In-Class Discussion

Individual Paper/Project #1

In-Class discussion

Individual Paper/Project #1

Week 6

Mon

Weds

Fri

 

Civic Voluntarism Model I

Module 1 Quiz & Review

Group Work on Group Presentation #1

  

 

Assigned (Required) Readings: 

Civic Engagement in Sport

and In-Class Discussion

Group Presentation Draft

   

In-Class Discussion

Group Presentation Draft

Week 7

Mon

Weds

Fri

 

Group Presentation #1 – Day 1

Group Presentation #1 – Day 2 

Group Presentation #1 – Day 3

 

Assigned (Required) Readings: 

Critical Dimensions in Sport

Peer & Audience Evaluation

Self-reflection Assignment

  

Peer & Audience Evaluation

Self-reflection Assignment

Week 8

Mon

Weds

Fri

Social Campaign

Social Class, Physical Activity, and Sport

Inequalities in Sport and Access to Exercise

  

Assigned (Required) Readings: 

Social Class and Sport Participation

and In-Class Discussion

  In-Class Discussion
Week 9

Mon

Weds

Fri

 

Understanding Cultural Capital

Cultural Capital in Elite and Participatory Sport

Changing Trend in Cultural Capital, Exercise, and Sport

 

Assigned (Required) Readings: 

Cultural Capital

and In-Class Discussion

   In-Class Discussion
Week 10

Mon

Weds

Fri

 

Cultural Origins of Gender Inequalities

Feminist Theories, Physical Activity, and Sport

The Impact of Gender on Physical Activity & Sport Participation

 

Assigned (Required) Readings: 

Gender in Sport

and In-Class Discussion

Individual Paper/Project #2

In-Class Discussion 

Individual Paper/Project #2 Due

Week 11

Mon

Weds

Fri

 

Race and Ethnicity

Critical Race Theory and Sport

Racism in Fitness and Sport Spaces

 

Assigned (Required) Readings: 

Race in Sport

In-Class Discussion

In-Class Discussion 
Week 12

Mon

Weds

Fri

 

 

Commercialization Process in Exercise & Sport

Module 2 Quiz

Group Workday on Social Campaign

 

   

Assigned (Required) Readings: 

Norms of Commercialization

In-Class Discussion

In-class group work - Campaign

In-Class Discussion

Module 2 Quiz

Week 13

Mon

Weds

Fri

Saturday

 

The Impact of Capitalism on Contemporary Fitness and Sport Spaces

Campaign Preparation I

Campaign Preparation II

Social Campaign - execution

Assigned (Required) Readings: 

Social Campaigns, In-Class Discussion

In-class group work - Campaign

 

In-class discussion

In-class group work

Reflection Paper & Peer Evaluation on Social Campaign

Week 14

Mon

Weds

Fri

 

Fitness, Sport and Climate Change

Sport and Sustainability

Political Forces in Sport

   

Assigned (Required) Readings: 

Sport and Climate Change

In-Class Discussion

Individual Paper /Project #3

In-Class Discussion

Individual Paper /Project #3 Due

Week 15

Mon

Weds

Fri

 

Sport and Politics

Sport in Int’l Relations

Course Review & Review for Final Exam (Week 16)

 

 

Assigned (Required) Readings: 

Politics and Sport

In-Class Discussion

In-Class Discussion

In-class worksheet for Final Exam Review

(Week 16, Final Exam, Scheduled by Registrar)

 

 

Expectations for Student Effort 

[Describe how much time students should expect to invest in the course each week. Graduate courses should state: "For each hour of lecture equivalent, students should expect to have a minimum of two hours of work outside of class." Note that Global campus courses will automatically include credit hour equivalents in the syllabus.]

Anticipate dedicating around nine hours each week to course-related tasks. This includes three hours of designated class time and an additional six hours for independent work beyond the classroom. Activities outside of class encompass various tasks like reading, reviewing class materials, working collaboratively with group members, and getting ready for tests.

 

Grading [add more lines if necessary]

Assignment Breakdown
Type of Assignment (tests, papers, etc) Points Percent of Overall Grade
Final Examination  100 20%

Major Assignments

  • Individual Papers/Projects x 3
  • Group Project Practical Application#1 
  • Group Project Practical Application#2

 

150 points (50 pts ea)

50 points

50 points

50%

In-class Assignments/Activities/Quizzes (30%)

  • In-class discussion, Individual Assignments
  • Quiz x 2

 

100 points total

50 points ( 25 pts ea quiz)

30 %
TOTAL 500 points 100%

 

Grading Schema
Grade Percent Points Grade Percent Points
A

93 – 100 

465 – 500

C 73 – 76.9 365 – 384.9
A-  90 – 92.9 450 – 464.9  C- 70 – 72.9 350 – 364.9 
B+ 87 – 89.9  435 – 449.9  D+ 67 – 69.9 335 – 349.9 
B 83 – 86.9  415 – 434.9  D 60 – 66.9 300 – 334.9
B- 80 – 82.9 400 – 414.9  F < 60% 0 – 299.9
C+ 77 – 79.9 385 – 399.9  

[Provide information about how grades will be rounded (eg, if 89% earns a B+ and 90% earns an A-, what grade is given to a student with an 89.5?]


Attendance and Make-Up Policy 

Students are responsible for ensuring that they attend all class meetings and are expected to make all reasonable efforts to do so as a condition of their enrollment at Washington State University. Attendance is included in the calculation of the course grade. If in-class activity points are missed when a student is absent, those points cannot be made up unless the university recognizes the absence or it is the result of a civic duty (jury duty, military service).

Every absence that is officially recognized by the university (e.g., participation in athletic contests) will be accepted as a valid excuse, provided it is appropriately documented and communicated to the instructor in a timely manner. You will be able to track your attendance record on Canvas.

Missed/Late Work Policy

All materials must be submitted as indicated on the Course Schedule. Students should allocate enough time to address any technical challenges they may encounter while submitting assignments. Technology failures are not an excuse for missed deadlines.

In the event of a family emergency, personal challenge, or crisis that affects your academic progress or well-being, please reach out to the Office of the Dean of Students, located in French Administration room 122, or contact them at 509.335.5757 or via email at deanofstudents@wsu.edu. The staff in this office is well-equipped to assist students in navigating complex issues and guiding them to relevant resources.

Students have seven days following the release of grades to challenge a grade entry. After seven days grade changes will not be considered.


Academic Integrity Statement

Washington State University, a community dedicated to advancing knowledge, expects all students to adhere to high standards of scholarship and the Standards of Conduct for Students. Students are expected to understand the meaning of academic integrity and to adhere to the University’s policies on academic integrity. All members of the university community (and this class) share responsibility for maintaining and promoting the principles of integrity in all activities, including academic integrity and honest scholarship.

Any form of academic dishonesty (including but not limited to cheating, plagiarism, unauthorized collaboration, falsification, and misrepresentation) is not tolerated, and violation of the policy will incur the consequences outlined below.

As a student, you are responsible for reading WSU’s Academic Integrity Policy, which is based on Washington State law. Academic integrity will be strongly enforced in this course. Students who violate WSU’s Academic Integrity Policies (identified in Washington Administrative Code (WAC) 504-26-010(3) and WAC 504-26-404 will, on the first offense, receive a zero for the assignment and receive one full letter grade lower as a final grade for the semester (from an A to a B, etc.). A second violation will result in an “F” grade for the course. Students suspected of an academic integrity violation will be reported to the Center for Community Standards and will not have the option to drop or withdraw from the course until the appeals process is complete. If you have any questions about what you can and cannot do in this course, ask me. If you want to ask for a change in my decision about academic integrity, use the form at the Center for Community Standards website. You must submit this request within 21 calendar days of the decision.

For more information on responding to academic integrity violations, please visit: https://www.handbook.wsu.edu/academic-integrity-process/. Please contact the Center for Community Standards for more specific information about the process. The Center for Community Standards can be reached at 509-335-4532 or community.standards@wsu.edu.

  • Cheating includes, but is not limited to, plagiarism and unauthorized collaboration as defined in the Standards of Conduct for Students, WAC 504-26-010(3). Read and understand all of the definitions of cheating. If you have any questions about what is and is not allowed, ask your course instructor.
    • Specific prohibitions:
      • Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI): I recognize that AI can be a valuable resource, but it should serve only as a supporting tool and not as a replacement for your own learning, creativity, and decision-making. The purpose of all assignments is to help you practice and strengthen essential academic skills. Submitting work that is fully or partly generated by AI as if it were your own (for example, copying and pasting text from tools such as ChatGPT without citation or integration) constitutes plagiarism and undermines your growth as a learner. You are encouraged to use AI thoughtfully—for brainstorming, refining ideas, or checking grammar—while ensuring that the final product reflects your own understanding and effort.
      • Individual Assignment Completion: Unless explicitly designated as group assignments, all tasks must be completed individually. Collaboration with peers on assignments not specified as group efforts is considered a breach of academic integrity. Each student is responsible for independently producing their work, contributing to a fair and unbiased assessment of individual capabilities.
    • Please complete the syllabus review/contract (found in the Assignment tab on Canvas), to acknowledge you understand the academic integrity expectations of this course. No assignments will be graded until this document has been submitted.

If you have any questions about what you can and cannot do in this course, ask me.