Sports Observational Assignment:
Due: March 28 at 11:59 p.m. through D2L. This assignment is worth
30% of your total grade. Review the syllabus policy on grading and late
assignments.
Directions: For this assignment, I want you to physically go to a sports
event, which could be a youth, collegiate, or professional game. The game
must be an institutionalized sports event, not recreational or intramural. I
want you to consider and answer this question: based on your observations,
is sport a microcosm of society?
To answer this question, I want you to become a critical everyday
ethnographer of sports. When at the sports event, you must take notes on
the (a) setting, (b) interactions, and (c) language and symbols. You will
become a student observer rather than a sports spectator. It is important to
take notes.
Key methodological terms:
This is a methodological assignment. Ethnography is an important social
science method that allows researchers to understand culture through
observations.
A critical everyday ethnographer: a conceptual form of people watching
“that allows individuals to informally gather evidence in social interactions
that support their own viewpoints or transforms their commonsense
understandings of social life” (Anderson, 2011, xv).
Observing Participant: An account that conveys what you have seen and
heard and present what sense you have been able to make of interactions
occurring in public (Anderson, 2011, xv)
Some sports issues
There are five general issues you can explore: (1) race and ethnicity, (2)
class and corporatism, (3) gender separation and language, (4) patriotism
and militarism, (5) athletic protest or other forms of institutional
suppression. You must observe and present on three social
issues. Below I provide some specific examples of issues you can discuss.
Race: composition (players, coaches, fans, referees, etc.)
o Racism: any signs of discrimination or unfair treatment,
intolerant language or prejudice, etc.
Gender (composition, see race example for more detail).
o Sexism (any signs of discrimination or unfair treatment,
intolerant language or prejudice, or low expectations because of
gender, etc.)
Patriotism/ militarism: signs of national pride, uniform actions like “all
rise,” custom breaking and reaction, support of troops, etc.
o Institutional suppression: banning or removal of social symbols or
political symbols or behaviors; the removal of people for certain
actions.
Corporatization: merchandise, advertisements, endorsements,
sponsorships, etc.
Rules of Don’ts:
The general rule is to observe public space and not to invade anyone’s
privacy. Also, stay away from vulnerable populations, such as children or
those individuals who need guardians. The golden rule of research ethics is
to not harm anyone or to make anyone feel uncomfortable. Furthermore,
If you interview anyone, make sure to get their consent and to let them
know if it is for a class project and not part of a formal research study.
Do not go into private or confidential spaces to “spy.”
If you photograph or video, make sure it is public space, in plain sight,
and you try to obscure people to protect their identities unless you get
their permission.
Don’t present on or reflect on a past sports experience for your site
visit. (As this would violate the directions, you will earn a zero for the
assignment if this is revealed.) To adhere to this direction item,
make sure to add the purchased ticket and the date of your
event on your title slide.
Don’t watch a sports game on television or a streaming service. (As
this would violate the directions, you will earn a zero for the
assignment if this is revealed.)
Digital Report
Create a digital report based on your observational research using
SWAY. In your digital report, incorporate your pictures, videos, and oral
histories. Make your digital story descriptive, evidence-based, and engaging.
If you want to use a different digital platform, it must be equivalent or better
than SWAY as a digital storytelling application. You must get it approved by
me.
Also, limit your use of secondary sources, such as Youtube videos and
other copyrighted media content. If you use copyrighted material, you must
cite and reference the material. Rather, focus on your own individual and
creative production. Also, don’t add your own narration or voiceover
for this project.
Digital Storytelling Applications
Use SWAY (Microsoft)
Other digital storytelling applications are available but must be
approved by me
Don’t use PowerPoint, Prezi, Google Slides or other
presentation or document file applications, such as PDF or
Word.
Directions and Outline of Digital Report
Content Limits
Your pages must not exceed more than 7 pages of content (including
your reference page). You must incorporate pictures, videos, or interviews
into your presentation as evidence of your observations. All photos and
media must be dated, provide a source, and include a brief description of the
media about its relevance to the social theme you have identified. Your brief
texts should be no more than 60 words for each description, including
definitions, quotes, or short sentences. Use bullet points to organize
your text. Don’t make your presentation text heavy, as this isn’t an essay,
but a visual presentation of your observational research.
1. Title Slide: Include a title, name, event, purchased ticket, and date of
event.
2. Provide a picture of yourself inside the game. Your text should
include a brief description of your sports event, include the themes
your observed, the people, interactions, and language and symbols.
3. Photo/Media/Interview of Social Issue 1. Present evidence of
social issue 1 that you observed. Your text should include a
brief description of the photo/media/interview and its relevance to the
social theme of the class. Consider including a class concept, quote
from a reading, or historical context.
4. Photo/Media/Interview of Social Issue 2. Present evidence of
social issue 2 that you observed. Your text should include a
brief description of the photo/media/interview and its relevance to the
social theme of the class. Consider including a class concept, quote
from a reading, or historical context.
5. Photo/Media/Interview of Social Issue 3. Present evidence of
social issue 3 that you observed. Your text should include a
brief description of the photo/media/interview and its relevance to the
social theme of the class. Consider including a class concept, quote
from a reading, or historical context.
6. Answer the question, does sport reflect society based on the
evidence you assembled through your observations? Make sure
to keep your answer less than 60 words, but consider including a class
concept, quote from reading, or historical context.
7. Sources: Use APA or MLA. No matter the reference style, make sure to
include the name of the authors, date of publication, title, publisher,
and location of the publisher. When citing your own photos, make sure
to include your name, the date, location, title (i.e., personal photo
of….).
Grading criteria: I am looking for a clear, accessible, concise digital report
that follows the directions of these guidelines.
Your Observational Report will be accessible and use the correct digital
storytelling application
Your Observational Report will correctly identify 3 social issues relevant
to our course
Your Observational Report will include documented evidence
Better reports will answer the final question without being either
simplistically one-sided ("obviously sports mirror society") or
simplistically even-handed ("even though it's a contradiction, both
positions make sense")
Better reports will be clearly organized with recognizable sections and
logical sequential order
Better reports will include conceptual frameworks, rather than only
include description.
Quality Assessment
Very Good: All assignment components were covered and all social
observations included primary photos/media/evidence and very good
descriptions
Good: A good project but needed to include more primary photos or other
media sources for evidence or need to improve social science description
Average: Covered the main content of the assignment, but none-to-very-
little primary photos or other primary media evidence was included in the
project
Below Average: There were significant deficiencies with the project to
include, but not limited to the following: missing a date of the event and/or
identification of the sports event, there weren’t any photos used in the
project, the incorrect application program was used (not a digital
storytelling application),and missing key components of the assignment--
or a combination of the following
Failure: The project didn't adhere to the directions of the assignment.
