HONC 313 - Sport and Spectacle

Unit(s): 4

This course introduces students to the culture of performance in the ancient world from all angles, paying particular attention to: spaces of performance; who produced spectacles and how they benefitted from them; spectator response and fan culture; and the way in which public spectacles both reflect and shape dynamics of political power, attitudes towards violence and bloodshed, ideas of the body, religious beliefs, and social hierarchies. Looking at evidence from material culture, literary sources, and visual arts, students engage with the political, social, and personal dynamics of public performance from the ancient world to today. Through comparisons and continuities between ancient and modern-whether the Olympics, sports teams, theater performances-students reflect on the role of spectacle in reinforcing and reflecting cultural identities and values. Each student presents research on a comparative project of their choosing.

Restriction: Course Student Attribute Restricted to Honors College Priority Reg
College of Arts and Sciences