Sport, Governance, and the Public Good: An Interdisciplinary Seminar

(1 Credit Hour) · Undergraduate

Modern sport is often framed as entertainment, but it functions as a powerful civic institution — one that shapes public health policy, cultural norms, media narratives, legal doctrine, and institutional trust. This interdisciplinary seminar uses sport as a case study in understanding how institutions act under uncertainty, confront moral failure, and pursue reform, integrating perspectives from medicine, public health, ethics, governance, law, sociology, and media studies. Students will analyze contemporary case studies in which scientific evidence, media amplification, legal pressure, cultural norms, and ethical responsibility intersect. The goal is not to litigate past controversies, but to interrogate institutional decision-making and explore how sport can either advance, or undermine, the public good.