FYS 1265 - Soccer, Fandom, and Global Contexts

Credits: 4
Soccer is, without doubt, the single most popular sport in the world. In fact, in many countries it has become the national pastime. This seminar will offer students the opportunity to explore this sport as a window that allows them to think critically about the social, cultural, political, and economic issues in contemporary societies. We will discuss the reasons why soccer captured the imagination of millions of people around the world; the relationship between the dissemination of soccer and patterns of cultural, political, and economic change; the connections between soccer and the shaping of national identities in a global context; the racial, class, and gender dynamics behind soccer as a practice and a spectacle; the appearance of violent soccer fans and their connections with contemporary economic and social trends such as the spread of neo-liberalism and the forces of globalization; and the use of soccer as a marker of identity among young people.
McDaniel Plan: First Year Seminar