Foundation Topics in Social Work

This course explores the relationship between sports and social change. In particular, it focuses on the evolution of sports and athletics as a context of practice, and the role of social change within contemporary sports and athletic endeavors. Sports have played an avid role in the development of community and identity from the establishment of settlement houses through the advancement of social media platforms. This course will examine a range of topics aimed at helping students understand the history, issues, and roles of sports and athletic departments in social change work. Topics covered in this course will include examining the history of sports, social change and social work; reviewing the landscape of national governing bodies and regulations in youth, collegiate and professional sports; identifying the roles of change agents within athletic and sport contexts, including fundraising, administration, leadership and development; and discussing critical issues in social change and sports such as mental health, social media, and activism. This course will draw on case studies and guest speakers (from collegiate and youth sport programs)throughout the course. Students engaged in the course will also be expected to observe and shadow various staff positions within UM Athletics. Throughout this course, students examine social work values and ethics as well as issues of race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, age, religion, and ability as these relate to macro, mezzo and micro levels of practice.