The University of British Columbia (UBC), Okanagan is to start a fourth-year sociology course on Portuguese football star Cristiano Ronaldo.
According to the UBC press release, the four-credit course will focus on the effects of Ronaldo’s fame on society and its cultural impact.
University's Associate Professor of Sociology Luis LM Aguiar is teaching the course.
He said: “Ronaldo is said to embody features and characteristics of speed, strength, competitiveness, dogged work ethic, discipline, and adaptability. He is also arguably the best footballer in the world today with three Ballon d’Or awards, the most recent awarded just last month.”
It’s not a casebook study about the global popularity contest (which Ronaldo may be winning), says Aguiar.
Students will be taught about the sociological relevance of social phenomena like organised sport and the forces that create a global athlete. They will also learn about identity, nationality, and representation and will discuss the phenomenon of Ronaldo across the Portuguese diaspora.
“Sociology is nothing if not the delving into the processes of structuring identities and experiences and exposing the social forces that push these processes. In this case, I’m interested in how Ronaldo has been used to construct several discourses about who he is, what makes him distinct as a footballer, what is his relationship to Portugal, Madeira and indeed Portuguese identity.”
The professor said he was not sure if the Portuguese star knew about the course but offered him an open invitation to talk to future classes.
Earlier, Staffordshire University offered a 12-week module as part of its BA in Sports, Media and Culture that studied the cultural impact of David Beckham in 2000.
The course focused on elements such as his new haircuts and his marriage to Victoria Adams.