The course explores religious pluralism in sports, focusing on two main aspects. On one hand, sports are seen as an educational tool that allows athletes to express their religious identity, promoting values of fairness, non-discrimination, and social inclusion. On the other hand, the supposed "neutrality" of the sports system regarding religion can lead to difficulties in protecting athletes' religious rights. Gaps in sports regulations and justice systems make it hard to safeguard religious identity. The course aims to provide tools to analyze religious identity and phenomena in contemporary legal systems, also examining the relationship between religion and public administration, especially in the third sector.
The course, in view of the link between Sport, Religion and cultural pluralism, especially in the field of religious symbolism in the sports system, aims to analyse: • the soul-body dichotomy from the point of view of some of the main religious denominations • the importance that, according to the main religious confessions, physical exercise can have for the purpose of pursuing the spiritual elevation that leads man to "salvation" • some of the fundamental principles that govern the sport system, to understand if and to what extent they are shared and find concrete expression also in the world of religions • the rules of the game and the autonomy profiles of sports law, to verify how the "visible" exercise of the religious faith to which one belongs is made explicit in the sports employment relationship • some concrete cases in which confessional pluralism manifests itself in the sport system, to evaluate whether or not the latter ensures the necessary conditions for the athlete-faithful to express his or her "religious sentiment", without undergoing any form of restriction.
The course aims to:
Through expert input, the course will help participants develop critical thinking on the dynamics between sports and identity, gaining skills to address multicultural challenges in contemporary sports.
Literacy skills: Ability to communicate effectively in writing and speaking, adapting communication to the context, using various sources and aids with methods like Debate, Think-pair-share, Case-based learning, and Group learning. Social skills: Ability to manage social interactions, adopt a collaborative attitude, and communicate constructively in diverse environments using methods like Think-pair-share and Case-based learning (if done in groups).
There are no specific prerequisites required
The course includes 36 hours of in-person lectures (equivalent to 6 ECTS credits). During the course, there will be credit-bearing seminars and optional oral or written exercises, with related materials available on AulaWeb. These activities may replace or supplement parts of the program, subject to agreement with the instructor.
Students will also have the opportunity to work on individual or group projects under the instructor’s guidance. The parts of the program covered by these projects will be considered in the final assessment and will not be part of the final oral exam, which will take place during one of the scheduled exam sessions.
Attendance will be recorded according to the methods outlined by the instructor in the first classes. Students are also encouraged to complete the course evaluation survey, an important tool for identifying any issues and improving the courses. The survey can be found here: https://valutazione.servizionline.unige.it/
Teaching Methodology
Module 1 – Introduction to Religious Pluralism in Sports
Module 2 – Legal Framework and Legal Aspects
Module 3 – Challenges and Conflicts in the Sports Context
Module 4 – Sports and Interfaith Dialogue
Module 5 – Practical Perspectives and Conclusions
Students attending the course: Study materials will be uploaded on AulaWeb. These can be supplemented with the following texts:
Students not attending the course:
Ricevimento: Timetable and classrooms at: http://www.aulescienzesociali.unige.it/orari/scpol_cds.php The lecturer will meet at the Department of Law, Via Balbi 30, History of Law Section, 2nd floor, or at the Albergo dei Poveri, Central Tower, 3rd floor, by appointment to be made by e-mail to daniela.tarantino@unige. For special needs, the reception can take place on the special channel teams Ricevimenti Tarantino, code 37c83m3, by appointment with the lecturer by email or via teams
DANIELA TARANTINO (President)
Classes will begin on 16 September 2025 as posted on the teaching calendar, Aulaweb
The timetable for this course is available here: EasyAcademy
The exam will be oral and consist of 3-4 questions based on the course material. During the course, students attending the classes will have the opportunity to work on individual or group projects under the guidance of the instructor. The parts of the program covered by these projects, which will be considered in the final assessment, will not be included in the final oral exam, which will take place during one of the scheduled exam sessions. The exam will be held in person.
The oral or written exercises during the course and the final exam aim to assess the student’s knowledge and skills related to the analysis of religious pluralism in the world of sports, focusing particularly on the legal aspect.
Students with a valid disability certificate or a DSA diagnosis may request compensatory measures (e.g., extra time, concept maps, changes to written/oral exam formats) during exams, following the procedure outlined in the guidelines (p. 5) published here. For further information, students can contact the department’s designated instructor at: Isa.Fanlo@unige.it
Students with a DSA certificate, disabilities, or other special educational needs are advised to contact both the coordinator, Prof. Aristide Canepa (aristide.canepa@unige.it), and the course instructor at the beginning of the course. This will allow them to agree on teaching and exam methods that, while respecting the course objectives, take into account individual learning styles and provide appropriate compensatory tools. More information is available at the link: https://unige.it/disabilita-dsa/studenti-disabilità-informazioni-utili.
The seminars and activities that offer credits (CFU) are educational activities provided by the Department of Political and International Sciences within the “Other Activities” section to be included in the study plan. At the beginning of each academic year, the Department publishes a list of activities linked to each seminar on its website, allowing students to choose which seminars to include in their study plan, for a total of 3 CFU. These 3 CFU can be achieved by combining seminars from the same or different disciplines, at the student's discretion. Additionally, seminars and initiatives offering CFU can be selected as “Elective Activities.” The seminars and initiatives in Law and Religions, and Comparative Religious Law, explore specialized topics related to the relationship between state and religious rights, including in the sports sector. The list of seminars and initiatives offering CFU for this academic year is available on the Department’s website.
