This course is intended to stimulate critical, sociological thinking about sport? how it is socially organized, who participates in what and why, what role (or roles) sport plays in society, and what sporting practices tell us about contemporary social life more generally. It begins from and is grounded in the notion that sport is one of the most powerful and paradoxical institutions in the modern world. The course is intended for a wide range of undergraduates, though some familiarity with basic social scientific thinking and techniques will be helpful. prereq: SOC 1001 recommended, Sociology majors/minors must register A-F