Social Science - Football Game

General Education Capstone Course

Event/Experience Details and Guideline Form

Gen. Ed. Category Event should be listed under: Social Science

SCC Competency addressed by event: 1. Explain social institutions, structures, and processes.  2. Develop and communicate hypothetical explanations, predictions, and descriptions of human behavior within an historical and social context.

Event experience Title: Fall Event: Observation of a Football Game as an Example of an American Ritual

Anticipated Learning Outcome. 

Through this exercise students should develop a better understanding of the cultural and social world around them, and come to a better informed sense of self and others. This exercise will also highlight some of the connections between different realms of American culture. 

Guidelines for accomplishment of event

Instructions to Students:  Attend a football game (professional, college, high school, or younger) in person and observe the entire event (players, spectators, officials, cheerleaders, advertising, etc) from the viewpoint that the game itself is an American “ritual”. Write a structured journal entry considering what you can learn from this game about American Culture in general. Why is it so popular among so many Americans, but hasn’t spread globally in the way that soccer, baseball, golf or tennis all have? What does television filter out of experiences like this, and are the differences between “viewing” and “attending” linked in any way to the game’s popularity? If you see violence as part of its appeal, then consider why even more violent sports (such as boxing) are less popular. In what ways does football help create the culture that so appreciates it?

Assessment rubric for Instructors: Are they able to write a coherent essay that looks critically at our own culture with some measure of detached objectivity – an analysis that goes beyond the emotional valuations “it’s great” or “it’s awful”? Are they able to show connections between different realms of American culture, and understand the constraints of history for particular cultural features? Do they provide suitable evidence for the arguments they make?

Provide at least one the following: 

Event Contact Name: Local papers list football games in the area (high school, college, and Pro). It’s important that the event be attended in person, not watched on TV.

Event Contact website URL:  http://www.stltoday.com/sports

SCC Event Creator: Wm. Griffin

Estimated Time for full completion (include: making contact/appointment; attending activity; travel; and journal consideration and entry) 6