How much money does sport generate today? Are sports a tool for social integration or for confrontation and violence? Why does Messi earn more money than the Prime Minister of Spain? How does a city benefit from organizing a sports event such as the Olympics? Sports are present in many areas of today’s society and economy, which makes them an interesting object for social science research. This course aims to give the student the tools to answer the above questions from a scientific perspective. Students will acquire the skills to take a critical look at the role of sports in economy and society, analyzing the impact it has in society and its increasing importance as an economic activity. Using sports, we will learn how to undertake a sociological and economic analysis of a given phenomenon, which will provide the student with a solid foundation for future studies in this specific topic or similar. The course will use real examples and case studies (mainly Spanish and European) to illustrate the topics explained.

Goals: To understand the growing importance of sports in contemporary society and economy; to be able to analyze sports from a sociological and economic perspective, paying attention to the most relevant dimensions of the phenomenon; to be able to use the concepts and tools learned to analyze similar phenomena in other contexts.

The academic course can be combined with an optional component of 6 soccer training sessions for a supplement of $345. Working with an established soccer coaching organization based in Barcelona students will be given the ultimate high-level coaching experience by professional youth coaches using the unique Spanish coaching methodology. This is a tailor-made experience for students wanting an exceptional experience in soccer training to enhance their skills, perception, coordination and overall performance and understanding of the game during practical and theoretical sessions.