Schedule, readings & discussion prompts 

WEEK 1. INTRODUCTION
Thursday, Jan. 22
What we will do in class: Discuss our own fandom and what makes us fans, review syllabus and course policies.
What is due next class?
READ:
· "Keeping the Faith: The Elementary Forms of Sports Life" in The Power of Sports: Media and Spectacle in American Culture by Michael Serazio
DISCUSSION POINTS: 
  • How did sports and religion become intertwined?
  • Are they still today?

WEEK 2. WHY ARE WE SPORTS FANS?
 Tuesday, Jan 27 
What we will do in class: Discuss what makes fandom different, plan for the rest of the course
What is due next class?
READ:  DISCUSSION POINTS:
  • Why do humans become sports fans? 
  • Wann writes of four "individual needs" and of four "societal needs" sport fandom satisfies. Jot down how you have engaged personally and as a member of society in sport (or other) fandom to satisfy each of these needs. Be read to talk about them.
Thursday, Jan. 29
What we will do in class: Discuss Wann. 
What is due next class? 
READ: DISCUSSION POINTS: 
  • What happened in the Dartmouth-Princeton game? 
  • What is real and does it matter? 
  • What do we get from our favorite teams' success? 
  • Defend the use of "we" as fans when referring to favorite teams. What about "they?" Are there consequences of “we/they?”
 
WEEK 3. EARLY THEORIES OF SPORTS FANDOM
Tuesday, Feb. 3
What we will do in class: Watch video clips and discuss “They Saw a Game.” Then talk about "we/them" and BIRGing.
What is due next class: 
READ:
"Die-Hard and Fair-Weather Fans: Effects of Identification on BIRGing and CORFing Tendencies" by Daniel L. Wann & Nyla R. Branscombe 
"The Process of Becoming a Sports Fan: The Psychological Continuum Model" by D.L. Wann & Jeffrey D. James
DISCUSSION POINTS:
  • Describe the PCM in layman's terms
  • What are the four stages of connection and how do they apply to you personally? 
Thursday, Feb. 5 
What we will do in class: Discuss the PCM and "connection." 
What is due next class: 
"Die-Hard and Fair-Weather Fans: Effects of Identification on BIRGing and CORFing Tendencies" by Daniel L. Wann & Nyla R. Branscombe 
"The Process of Becoming a Sports Fan: The Psychological Continuum Model" by D.L. Wann & Jeffrey D. James
DISCUSSION POINTS:​
  • Watch the Super Bowl!  Take some notes on how people express and how they feel about their fandom AND their "identity." This does not just apply to Patriots' and Seahakws' fans, either. It might also apply to Bad Bunny fans, fans of Donald Trump, fans of the commercials or even of football itself. USE THE READINGS as your guide -- how are they "connecting?" How are YOU (and/or society) engaging with the personal and societal needs? is anyone BIRGing or CORFing? 

WEEK 4. MOTIVATIONS OF FANS & IS IT JUST ABOUT SPORTS?
​Tuesday, Feb 10
What we will do in class: Discuss Super Bowl and everything above. 
What is due next class:
READ
"Points of Attachment" by D.L. Wann & Jeffrey D. James
"Motivation and Sport Fandom" by D.L. Wann & Jeffrey D. James
Thursday, Feb. 12
What we will do in class: Discuss points of attachment and motivation; Introduce prompt for Paper #1.
​No new readings
DISCUSSION POINTS
  • ​Think about the "Attachment" and "Allegiance" stages of fandom. With those in mind, what are your points of attachment?
  • Next, we used religion as a comparative point of discussion on Tuesday. What are the points of attachment in your religion? How are they similar to/different from sports fandom? (In religion, are there "environmental origins?" "Rival salience?") 
  • New motives are introduced -- eight of them. How do these eight motives compare to the eight societal/individual "needs" Wann introduced in an earlier reading? Are motives and needs the same thing? Explain.

WEEK 5.
Tuesday, Feb. 17
What we will do in class: Discuss the Wann & James readings, talk about your points of attachment. Introduce the paper/assignment prompt.
What is due next class: Have the idea for your assignment formulated -- the way you will present it and the basic idea of it. 

Thursday, Feb. 19
What we will do in class: Workshop the assignment.
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