KINE 336 - Diversity in Sport Organizations

The purpose of KINE 336 is to examine an encompassing perspective of diversity within North American and international sport organizations. Specifically, the course provides students with an analysis and understanding of the various ways that people within sport organizations can differ. The course treats issues of the non-dominant, historically under-represented elements of U.S. society, with an emphasis placed on racial, ethnic, and gender issues.

After completing this course, students should be able to provide an overview of diversity, including a definition of diversity and diversity management, and discuss the various reasons for the emphasis on diversity; differentiate between the various ways of studying diversity; provide an overview of the three major theory classes used to study diversity: managerial, sociological, and social psychological; discuss the basic tenets of prejudice and discrimination and how they inform discussions of diversity in sport organizations; understand and discuss the categorical effects of diversity, including how people differ based on race, sex, gender, disability, age, obesity, sexual orientation, religious beliefs, and social class; outline how diversity within a group influences subsequent processes and outcomes; discuss how being dissimilar from others in a dyad or group influences subsequent attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors; highlight the equal employment opportunity laws affecting diversity in the workplace; discuss the influence of Title IX on the opportunities afforded to girls and women in sport; discuss different methods for managing diversity in the organizational setting; provide an overview of the categorization-based strategies that can be used to manage diverse groups; and discuss the different factors influencing the delivery of diversity effective training programs.