Sport & Culture in Contemporary Argentina

This course explores the intersections of history, sociology and culture through sports, more specifically, through Argentina's sport par excellence, soccer, and its myriad repercussions for culture, politics and society. After first establishing an academic framework for a sociological analysis of sports, we will trace the history of soccer in Argentina back to the turn of the 20th century. Some of the themes we will examine include soccer and politics (under Peronism, during the last military dictatorship 1976-83 and in recent times), soccer and violence, the figure of Diego Maradona ("el pibe de oro"), soccer and the media, and soccer and patriotism.

You will be required to actively engage various aspects of sport in Argentina throughout the course of the semester through cultural assignments, onsite learning, and field research.