LFU:online

Students are familiarised with approaches to cultural analysis using a thematic example. They learn to formulate questions in cultural studies and to answer them on the basis of their own empirical exercises and secondary literature. In doing so, they gain insights into social problems and their solutions.

Belonging and membership are central categories in cultural studies. We want to look at how people shape belonging and membership in the context of different Innsbruck sports clubs and how social orders, participation and civic engagement are negotiated in the process.
In doing so, we want to work out the specifics of the sports, the clubs and their members and investigate different motivations and functions of club involvement: Central questions aim at the choice of sport and club, family backgrounds, everyday practices in club sport, fitness and health, sporting ambition, desire for camaraderie and shared leisure time, social participation and voluntary work. In contrast, we also look at sporting activity that is not organised in a club, e.g. membership in a fitness club or privately organised sports groups. Finally, we will look at the role that sports clubs play today at the societal level.

Introductory lectures, active participation in discussions, empirical exercises and student presentations

Written assignment