Sport and Culture in Aotearoa/New Zealand

Description

Sport does more than merely reflect mainstream society and culture. It plays a significant and dynamic role in the production and reproduction of culture. Approached from a critical perspective this course examines sport in New Zealand with a focus on its unique bi-cultural nature and the social and cultural issues related to its practice and its significance in New Zealand. The progression towards successful integration of some aspects of Maori and NZ European cultures is a feature of New Zealand sport on the world stage but the interaction of culture and sport is complex and tied into larger social issues that that are often overlooked. This course examines a range of cultural and social issues in New Zealand sport with a focus on its bicultural nature and how this should inform coaching practice.