POST 187 PZ -The Political Economy of Global Soccer

Institution: Pitzer

Description: Football is now the world’s most popular and lucrative sport, but how does it actually work? The course examines the contemporary political economy, business models and governance of football, starting with the English Premier League, before broadening out to look at a range of global football economies as well as the international politics and economics of sporting mega events.

There are three main components to the course. First a close examination of the political economy and cultural meanings of football in England and begins with the rise of the English Premier league - the richest and most watched football league I the world. This section of the course will cover the business models of English football, the modelling of its markets, its place within a wider popular culture and its relationship to urban identities; and the complex politics of its governance. Second, the course will be comparative, taking the English model as a starting point and comparing it to the often very different political economy of the major European football nations, Latin America and Africa, and the new and rising powers of world football - East Asia, the Gulf and North America. The course will also compare football to other leading global sports in terms of both economics and governance. Third, the course will examine the global governance of football and the peculiar cultural significance and political economy of global sporting mega events.

For up-to-date information on current course offerings and details, please refer to the Pitzer class schedule on MyCampus2 Portal.

Please check course schedule for requirements.