Course Number: CMNS 324
Course Title: Media, Sports and Popular Culture
Credit Hours: 4 Vector: 2-2-0
Course Description
This course examines the changing relationships between media, sport and popular culture in both a North American and a global context. The course adopts a broadly historical perspective, beginning with an exploration of the role of the mass press in the popularization and commercialization of sport in the 19th century, moving on to consider the close inter-relationships that grew up between sport and radio, and sport and television, and finally examining sport as a key element of national popular cultures and identify formation as well as an important part of the broader entertainment industries in the age of digital technologies, media convergence, and globalization.
Prerequisite: 60 credits, including two of CMNS 220, 221, 223, 240.
Recommended: None.
Corequisite: None.
Special Instructions: None.
Course(s) to be dropped if this course is approved: None.
Elective - it is related to current faculty research and offers an important element not currently in our curriculum.
Indicate Semester and Year this course would be first offered and planned frequency of offering thereafter.
Which of your present CFL faculty have the expertise to offer this course? Will the course be taught by sessional or limited term faculty?
CFL: R. Gruneau, M. Laba.
Are there any proposed student fees associated with this course other than tuition fees?
Is this course considered a `duplicate' of any current or prior course under the University's duplicate course policy? Specify, as appropriate.
Note: Senate has approved (S.93-11) that no new course should be approved by Senate until funding has been committed for necessary library materials. Each new course proposal must be accompanied by a library report and, if appropriate, confirmation that funding arrangements have been addressed.
Provide details on how existing instructional resources will be redistributed to accommodate this new course. For instance, will another course be eliminated or will the frequency of offering of other courses be reduced; are there changes in pedagogical style or class sizes that allow for this additional course offering.
CMNS 386-4 has been offered (ST: Media, Sports and Popular Culture) three times (most recently 2001-1 and 2002-1), with adequate resources already in place in the SFU Library, and in Prof. Gruneau's personal library.
Does the course require specialized space or equipment not readily available in the department or university, and if so, how will these resources be provided?
No.
Does this course require computing resources (e.g. hardware, software, network wiring, use of computer laboratory space) and if so, describe how they will be provided.
No.
Course Description: This course examines the changing relationships between media, sport and popular culture in both a North American and a global context. The course adopts a broadly historical perspective, beginning with an exploration of the role of the mass press in the popularization and commercialization of sport in the nineteenth century. From here the course moves on to consider the close interrelationships that grew up between sport and radio, and sport and television. The final sections of the course examine sport as a key element of national popular cultures and identify formation as well as an important part of the broader entertainment industries in the age of digital technologies, media convergence, and globalization.
Course Evaluation:
| Tutorial Participation | 10% |
| Mid-Term Exam | 25% |
| Term Paper | 35% |
| Final Exam | 30% |
The School expects that the grades awarded in this course will bear some reasonable relation to established university-wide practices with respect to both levels and distribution of grades. In addition, the School will follow Policy T10.02 with respect to “Intellectual Honesty” and “Academic Discipline” (see the current Calendar, General Regulations section).
Required Texts: