This report asks fundamental questions about the global sportswear industry - questions that go to the heart of debates on poverty, workers' rights, trade, and globalisation. 'Olympism', in the words of the Olympic Charter, 'seeks to create a way of life based on ... respect for universal fundamental ethical principles. 'This report shows that the business practices of major sportswear companies violate both the spirit and the letter of the Charter. Yet the Olympics movement, particularly the International Olympics Committee, has been remarkably silent in the face of these contraventions.
This edited collection contains six refreshing critical assessments of the leisure-sport relationship from societies that have staged the Olympic and Paralympic Games and contains valuable information for those who live in societies that aspire to host the Games. The collection begins and ends with discussions of the Olympic Games as a platform for protest. The first and last chapters consider the changing political relationships from 1968 in Mexico City, when one of the most politically-charged gestures ever made by athletes took place, and the campaigns surrounding the ethical responsibilities of those hosting the Olympics in London in 2012. Other chapters consider the sociocultural legacy of the Seoul Olympics, assess the likely regeneration legacies of the London 2012 Games, examine the relationship between hosting societies and indigenous cultures and analyse the effectiveness and appeal of Olympic mascots. This collection provides not just insight into the past and present effects of the Olympic and Paralympic Games but also offers readers the opportunity to reflect upon and consider the impact of these sports mega-events on their everyday lives. This book was published as a special issue of Leisure Studies.
"A major contribution to the study of global events in times of global media. Owning the Olympics tests the possibilities and limits of the concept of 'media events' by analyzing the mega-event of the information age: the Beijing Olympics. . . . A good read from cover to cover." —Guobin Yang, Associate Professor, Asian/Middle Eastern Cultures & Sociology, Barnard College, Columbia University From the moment they were announced, the Beijing Games were a major media event and the focus of intense scrutiny and speculation. In contrast to earlier such events, however, the Beijing Games are also unfolding in a newly volatile global media environment that is no longer monopolized by broadcast media. The dramatic expansion of media outlets and the growth of mobile communications technology have changed the nature of media events, making it significantly more difficult to regulate them or control their meaning. This volatility is reflected in the multiple, well-publicized controversies characterizing the run-up to Beijing 2008. According to many Western commentators, the People's Republic of China seized the Olympics as an opportunity to reinvent itself as the "New China"---a global leader in economics, technology, and environmental issues, with an improving human-rights record. But China's maneuverings have also been hotly contested by diverse global voices, including prominent human-rights advocates, all seeking to displace the official story of the Games. Bringing together a distinguished group of scholars from Chinese studies, human rights, media studies, law, and other fields, Owning the Olympics reveals how multiple entities---including the Chinese Communist Party itself---seek to influence and control the narratives through which the Beijing Games will be understood. digitalculturebooks is an imprint of the University of Michigan Press and the Scholarly Publishing Office of the University of Michigan Library dedicated to publishing innovative and accessible work exploring new media and their impact on society, culture, and scholarly communication. Visit the website at www.digitalculture.org.
Olympic Event Organization is the first text to address a number of important questions in contemporary mega-event management: Which organizations are involved in the Olympic Movement and in what capacity? What are the interorganizational flows of authority and finance between them? How is work grouped, in what unit sizes, how specialized and formalized are work processes? How complex, dynamic, diversified, or friendly is their environment? What are the power issues and how do the technological processes affect these organizations? How do the OCOGs evolve in their life cycle, what pressures shape their structures and management processes and how is work co-ordinated? The examination of the Olympic Games event organization in the 10-year period, from bidding to post-games closing down, draws material from host cities to explore the types of interorganizational flows that take place at various stages for the Olympic Games to be delivered. Knowledge transfer from one host city to the next and an established organizational field also means that management practises sometimes follow some externally imposed organizing logics. The challenges faced by organizers are discussed and the tensions that a strong management template from the IOC creates are also examined. Finally, the issue of sustainability of the Olympic Games is identified along with an analysis of the ways in which the concepts of impact are appropriated by the various stakeholders involved with the Olympic Games as they attempt to influence public opinion. Written in an accessible and insightful manner Olympic Event Organization is essential reading for both academics and practitioners alike.
Contemporary sport is both a sophisticated and complex international business and a mass participatory practice run largely by volunteers and community organizations. This authoritative and comprehensive introduction to the theory and practice of sports management helps to explain the modern commercial environment that shapes sport at all levels and gives clear and sensible guidance on best practice in sports management, from elite sport to the local level. The book is divided into three sections. The first examines the global context for contemporary sports management. The second explores the key functional areas of management, from organization and strategy to finance and marketing, and explains how successful managerial techniques can be applied in a sporting context. The final section surveys a wide range of important issues in contemporary sports management, from corporate social responsibility to the use of information and communication technologies. Together, these sections provide a complete package of theory, applied practical skills and a state-of-the-art review of modern sport business. With useful features included throughout, such as chapter summaries and definitions of key terms, and with each chapter supported with real-world data and examples, this book is essential reading for all students of sport management and sport business.
A fundamental component of the Olympic ideal is the concept of Olympic education. This is the notion that sport can help children and young people develop essential life skills. Olympic Education: An international review is the first book to offer a comprehensive survey of the diffusion and implementation of Olympic education programmes around the world. The book includes 28 chapters with 21 national case studies of countries on every major continent, including Australia, Brasil, Canada, China, France, Germany, Japan, Russia, Spain, the UK, the US and Zambia. Each chapter examines the cultural, pedagogical, political and societal challenges of teaching Olympic education, as well as the national, individual and institutional programmes that have emerged. It explores key practical and conceptual issues, such as the incorporation of Olympic values in PE curricula, sport coaching and coach education programmes, while also taking into account the collaborative efforts of the governmental bodies, sport federations and Olympic institutions responsible for policy and implementation. This is important reading for all students, researchers and professionals with an interest in the Olympics, sport education, sports coaching, sport policy or physical education.
The Routledge Handbook of Mega-Sporting Events and Human Rights is the first book to explore in depth the topic of mega-sporting events (MSEs) and human rights, offering accounts of adverse human rights impacts linked to MSEs while considering the potential for promoting human rights in and through the framework of these events. Drawing on the contributions of an international group of leading researchers, practitioners and advocates, the book introduces key concepts in human rights and considers how they relate to ethical, social, managerial and governance issues in contemporary MSEs, from inclusion and welfare to corruption and sustainability. It examines the role of key stakeholders in the delivery of MSEs, including organising committees, sport governing bodies, governments, athletes, sponsors and broadcasters, as well as the role of activists and advocates, and presents historical and contemporary case studies of human rights as an active issue in MSEs. The book provides new perspectives on human rights as a lens for understanding modern sport and as a guiding principle for responsible sport that protects the interests of individuals and communities, as well as offering guidance on best practice. It is essential reading for all advanced students, researchers, practitioners, policymakers and stakeholders with an interest in organisation and delivery of MSEs, as well as general sport management, sport policy, sport governance, the ethics of sport, event management, political science, development studies, ethical business or the significance of sport in wider society.
Ages 7 to 8 years. Bring the Olympic spirit to life for students with information and activities that relate to both Summer and Winter Games. History, traditions, sites, and events included. Student lessons and activities for both Summer and Winter Games, includes inspiring stories of famous Olympians.
This distinctive Handbook covers the breadth of sports and media scholarship, one of the up-and-coming topics bridging media entertainment, sports management, and popular culture. Organized into historical, institutional, spectator, and critical studies perspectives, this volume brings together the work of many researchers into one quintessential volume, defining the full scope of the subject area. Editors Arthur Raney and Jennings Bryant have recruited contributors from around the world to identify and synthesize the research representing numerous facets of the sports-media relationship. As a unique collection on a very timely topic, the volume offers chapters examining the development of sports media; production, coverage, and economics of sports media; sports media audiences; sports promotion; and race and gender issues in sports and media. Unique in its orientation and breadth, the Handbook of Sports and Media is destined to play a major role in the future development of this fast-growing area of study. It is a must-have work for scholars, researchers, and graduate students working in media entertainment, media psychology, mass media/mass communication, sports marketing and management, popular communication, popular culture, and cultural studies.
Advocacy for gender equality occurs at all levels of society--from grassroots women demanding community-level change to sophisticated coalition-building that promotes change to international trade laws. Articles in this collection chart the experience, challenges, and successes of gender equality advocates from area including Pakistan, Australia, and southern Africa. Includes a comprehensive resources section, featuring books, organizations, Web sites, and electronic resources
