Mind games: The inclusion of trivia as a sport in the Pan Pacific Masters Games

This case follows Shane Walters, who was successful in his proposal to have trivia included as a sport in the Pan Pacific Masters Games. Shane is now tasked with planning, programming, and delivering a sport programme, as well as marketing the programme to potential participants. The case is particularly relevant for courses that cover event planning, event marketing, and event tourism. The case is applicable to both undergraduate and postgraduate courses.     

中国申办冬奥会可行性及对社会发展的意义和影响

从中国申办冬奥会成功对中国政治、经济、文化的影响,以及哈尔滨申办冬奥会成功对整个东北地区的社会发展进行分析研究,并提出中国申办冬奥会的最佳时机、条件,申奥成功可能性及应做的准备工作。     

A qualitative study of the impact of the London 2012 Olympics on families in the East Midlands of England: lessons for sports development policy and practice

The dynamics and culture of families are central to individual and community sport and physical activity participation. This research project examined the lived experiences and day-to-day realities of the London 2012 Olympics from the perspectives of five families in the East Midlands region of England. The aims of the project were to assess the influence the Games had on shaping family sports participation, influencing social and health relationships within the families through sports and reactions to the 2012 Olympics. The study was conducted through the generation of rich qualitative data from pre- and post-Games interviews as well as production of video diary data by the families and young people themselves to gather micro-level information on the realities of ‘legacy’ for families. Findings from this research project illustrate that prior parental socialisation into sport shaped current attitudes to legacy and children and mothers and fathers had mixed reactions to the actual presence of legacy. There are also clear sports development challenges around accessibility, cost, project design, the non-family-friendly nature of some schemes present during the potential consumption of legacy that have consequences for future research in this embryonic area. Implications from the study include the need to locate the family as a more central concern for policy makers in sports development practice. The study has questioned the assumed virtuous legacy of the London 2012 Games from the perspective of families on a day-to-day micro-level. Instead, a far more complex and diverse picture from the perspective of the family has been presented that requires further critical research on this little explored topic of policy and practice in sports development.     

The Far Eastern Championship Games and the Development of East Asian Society

In the history of the modern Olympics, East Asia is as active an area as Europe. Its involvement can be traced back to the beginning of the modern Olympic Games, as can the closely related Far Eastern Championship Games (FECG). Held in the Philippines in 1913, and following the model of the Olympic Games, the FECG was the first international sports competition to be held in East Asia and it is also the first regional international sports competition recognized by the International Olympic Committee. Due to its great significance in the development of modern sports in East Asia, it has been referred to as the ‘Oriental Olympics’ and the ‘Modern Asian Games’. This paper tries to understand the relationship between the FECG and the development of East Asian society. It points out that the FECG has played a critical role in the development of East Asian society and has exerted many positive influences that have been beneficial to social progress and development over time.     

2020东京奥运会项目变动的特征、影响与启示——兼谈奥运会项目设置的演变趋势

奥运会是世界体育发展的风向标和展示窗口。进入21世纪,奥运会举办成本不断攀升,让许多申办国望而却步,同时,还有许多新项目期盼能够跻身于规模庞大的奥林匹克舞台。研究采用文献资料等方法对夏季奥运会项目设置的演变历程和2020东京奥运会项目设置的变动特征进行梳理,探讨2020东京奥运会项目变化对我国奥运战略的影响。研究认为,2020东京奥运会项目变动具有如下特征:项目设置规模空前、注重吸纳新潮运动项目、重视利益相关者;对我国奥运战略的直接影响是既增设了一些有利于我国运动员夺牌的优势项目,也增设了一些竞争对手的优势项目。间接影响,是有助于重塑国家体育形象,传统体育项目受到削弱但新兴体育项目拓展迎来机遇。基于此,研究从政策设计、人才选用、保障措施等角度提出建议。     

申奥成功与中国体育产业的发展

围绕北京申奥的价值、带给中国经济和体育产业发展的机遇等有关问题进行阐述。认为北京奥运会具有巨大的市场潜力，将促进体育产业的大发展。     

A Game for the Global North: The 2018 Winter Olympic Games in Pyeongchang and South Korean Cultural Politics

Abstract

The South Korean region of Pyeongchang will host the 2018 Winter Olympic Games. Using Wallerstein’s world system theory and Collins’s notions of zones of prestige and emulation as a conceptual framework, this paper examines the South Korean Government’s intention to stage the winter sporting spectacle. As the Winter Olympics is arguably considered a game for the relatively affluent global north, South Korea, as a semi-core state, attempts to elevate its position to a global economic and cultural powerhouse through being a host of this winter sports mega-event. However, it should be noted that the Winter Olympic Games is an event through which white supremacy and Western cultural hegemony are continuously reinforced. Therefore, the South Korean ambition to enhance its international standing by staging the Winter Olympic Games paradoxically reflects Western cultural imperialism and Orientalism embedded in South Korean cultural politics associated with the winter sporting contest.     

Leveraging community sport organizations to promote community capacity: Strategic outcomes,challenges, and theoretical considerations

Community sport organizations (CSOs) provide valuable contexts for promoting community development. These initiatives are most effective when they involve local stakeholders in the process of development. A key first step to achieving this objective is building community capacity, defined as local stakeholders’ skills, knowledge, and resources that may be leveraged for change. Interestingly, despite this conceptual importance, few researchers have focused on capacity building in the sport context. This has limited the theoretical advancement of community capacity theory as it relates to CSOs and community development. Using a qualitative case study approach, the authors analyze the outcomes and challenges of implementing community capacity building strategies in an American CSO, and draw on the empirical data to contribute to this theoretical conversation. Interviews, participant observation, and document analysis were used to generate data, and deductive techniques were used for thematic analysis. The results highlight the outcomes of the capacity building strategies and challenges associated with implementation. In addition, the conclusion focuses on theoretical contributions to community capacity theory, namely the role of sport in facilitating inter-community relations across social groups and the link with process models of organizational capacity.     

Education,pedagogy and sport for development: addressing seldom asked questions

This special issue features the growing field of Sport for Development. Importantly few questions have been raised about the educative quality of sport for development programmes or the pedagogies by which they are delivered. This seems to be something of an oversight since; by definition development infers some sort of learning or educative process. This introductory paper provides an editorial commentary and summary on the papers included in this issue. We also comment on Sport for Development as a growing field of research and identify what might be some fruitful areas of research direction based on the papers included in the issue. Our reading of the papers suggest that there are important concerns related to pedagogy and educational practices in sport for development projects that stem from a dominance of neoliberal agendas, unintended though this may be. At the same time however, it is apparent that this challenge is being met head on by a growing number of researchers, and reports of this progress can be found in this issue.     

The role of sport in community capacity building: An examination of sport for development research and practice

Population health promotion and preventing disease remain important global policy goals. Because of the complex nature of health, and the recognition of the limits of individual-oriented health promotion strategies, recent decades have seen increased interest by public health researchers and practitioners in community-level approaches to health promotion. Increasingly, community-level approaches have been based upon the theoretical concept of community capacity. Community capacity is seen as a critical mechanism for supporting and promoting community-level health and through the sport for development (SFD) model, there is evidence of sport being an important practice for community development. However, little is known about the potential role of sport as a mechanism for building community capacity. Therefore, the purpose of this review is to examine the efficacy of sport to contribute to the process of community capacity building. Using seven established dimensions of community capacity, there is evidence that many SFD practices can effectively facilitate dimensions of community capacity when conducted in intentional, culturally relevant ways. Specifically, sport has demonstrated efficacy in building local skills, knowledge, and resources, increasing social cohesion, facilitating structures and mechanisms for community dialog, leadership development, and encouraging civic participation. More research is needed to understand sport's ability to promote capacity building through collective action, developing value systems that support democracy and inclusion, and encouraging critical reflection. To increase the usefulness of sport to support community health development, SFD principles should be included as part of sport management university curricula. Additionally, practitioners need grounding in community and human development research to support non-sport components of programs. Finally, participatory action research techniques should be used by researchers and practitioners. Sport-based development often generates high interest from residents, funders, and policy makers. By applying principles of community capacity building, sport may be uniquely positioned to enhance sustainable community health development initiatives.     

Exploring the domestic relationship between mega-events and destination image: The image impact of hosting the 2012 Olympic Games for the city of London

Contemporarily, the hosting of mega-sport-events (MSEs) is one of several strategies used by cities and governments to bring about improvements in a place’s image and recognition. With that in mind, the overall aim of this study, underpinned by theoretical-methodological social representation theory, was to evaluate the domestic image impact of hosting the 2012 Summer Olympic Games for the city of London, and in doing so, whether any image-transfer (or co-branding) processes occurred between the place and event. In addition to adding to the emergent body of work aimed at using social representation theory to measure place image, the authors are among the first to employ a matched-sample research approach to measuring the impact of an MSE on the domestic perceptions of the host. Employing an abductive research strategy, a survey was carried out among the domestic English population (n = 156) to identify cognitive and affective image components, in the form of social representations, of London as a city (or its place brand), the Olympics as a MSE, and the 2012 Games as a one-off event. The content and the structure of the pre-and post-event social representations were established (using image elements cited by at least 15% of the respondents), analysed (using hierarchical cluster analysis) and then compared (within- and between items) to determine whether any changes or image transfer occurred. The findings of this research reveal that the pre-event concerns regarding the hosting of the London 2012 Olympics and the potential of the event to negatively impact the city’s pre-established image, were, to a degree, fulfilled. Conversely, from an event perspective, respondents perceived the Olympics as a somewhat successful enterprise.     

Managing sport for social change: The effects of intentional design and structure in a sport-based service learning initiative

The current study focused on addressing a gap in understanding the design, structure, and management of sport-for-development (SFD) initiatives, in this case an initiative rooted in sport-based service learning. Sport, and specifically SFD, has been shown to facilitate positive outcomes such as social capital development through expanding networks and community building. Some studies have focused on impacts on volunteers in sport and SFD programs. These volunteers have developed networks most often through informal relationship building activities. Building on this knowledge, the current mixed methods study investigated the social capital development of alumni of a college service learning through sport course. Survey data (n = 93) and individual interviews (n = 22) with participants who had completed at least one semester in the course indicated that social capital development was facilitated. In particular, the intentional design, structure, and management aspects of the course and program provided opportunities for social capital development.     

哈尔滨申办冬奥会对冬季体育运动及城市发展的影响

在分析举办冬奥会给举办城市及其冬季体育运动发展和所带来巨大影响的基础上,探讨哈尔滨申办冬奥会的可能性,并在中办过程及中办成功后将给城市社会、经济、文化与冬季运动发展所带来的契机和影响,指出决策者应抓住这一契机,积极准备和筹办,并做出艰苦的努力争取申办成功。     

成功申办与举办第29届奥运会对中国社会环境的影响

从多角度探讨成功申办与举办第29届奥运会对中国社会环境的影响与促进作用。研究认为，举办奥运会能够促进体育与文化的完美融合；对经济具有促进作用；加快城市建设以及促进社会的全面进步。对我国民众对北京申办第29届奥运会的态度进行了调查分析。     

Olympics,Media and Politics: The First Olympic Ideas in Brazilian Society During the Late Nineteenth and Early Twentieth Centuries

Abstract

The Olympic Games of the modern era are powerful global mediated events. Olympic cities receive an overwhelming examination by world media. As the 2016 Olympic host, Rio de Janeiro has been given an enormous amount of attention, both by the international media and researchers who looked at the urban spaces of Rio, the struggles over the hegemony of the city and the social meanings the Olympics bring to the host city’s citizens. However, studies over the historical relationship between Rio, sport and media are rare. This paper addresses the historical uses of the term Olympic by Brazilian media during the late nineteenth and the early twentieth centuries. By looking at the main articles in the newspapers of these periods, we examine the extent to which ideologies over sports have changed the way the Olympics were represented in Brazil’s national imaginary. We demonstrate how the use of expressions associated with the Olympics historically generated a closer appreciation of these events by the public. We also show how political authorities appropriated the Olympics for their own benefit. The paper concludes by asking whether or not the historical lessons from the early Olympic ideas in Brazil have been learned by the 2016 Rio Games organizers.     

An Exploration of the Relationship between Large-Scale Sporting Events and Education for Sustainable Development: The Case of the Melbourne 2006 Commonwealth Games

This study explores the relationship between large-scale sporting events (LSSEs) and education for sustainable development (ESD). A case study-based explorative research approach was employed utilising the 2006 Melbourne Commonwealth Games (MCG) – one of only two LSSEs that have taken place in Australia (the other being the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games) which have purposely sought to engage with a sustainable development agenda. The enquiry concludes that the MCG acted as a vehicle for ESD and in so doing impacted, to varying degrees, organisations, groups and individuals across its host community (the State of Victoria). Various factors were identified that impacted the ESD process in this context. Facilitating factors included the presence of an environmental strategy inclusive of ESD elements; a pre-existing commitment by government to sustainable development; and the use of partnerships by the event's organisers to progress its environmental agenda. Constraints on the ESD process were also identified. Central amongst these were the failure to embrace environmental considerations in the MCG's enabling legislation and the limited resources given over to, and lack of emphasis placed upon, the event's overall environmental programme.     

关于奥运会科研攻关与科技服务工作的认识与对策

根据我国“奥运争光计划”的总体实施策略 ,针对备战第 2 8、2 9届奥运会分析了目前我国在准备奥运会的科研攻关与科技服务工作的现状 ,并据此提出了对策建议     

The Pursuit of Regional Geopolitical Aspirations: China's Bids for the Asian Games and the Asian Winter Games since the 1980s

Any international bid involves a zero-sum competition among two or more national candidates vying for the right to host a particular international event. Chinese cities in total have participated in the Asian Games and Asian Winter Games bids four times since 1980. Beijing's bid for the 1990 Asian Games; Harbin's bid for the 1996 Asian Winter Games; Changchun's bid for the 2007 Asian Winter Games and Guangzhou's bid for the 2010 Asian Games: not one encountered failure. The argument here is that all the bids were used to build up China's hegemonic status in the Asian sports community with wider resonances for the geopolitical hegemonic influence of China. Evidence is drawn from contemporary literature and media reports.     

The 2012 London Olympics: Commercial Partners,Environmental Sustainability,Corporate Social Responsibility and Outlining the Implications

Historically, the Olympic Games have had a tremendous impact on the economy, tourism industry and social and political aspects of a hosting nation. The Olympic Games are the most globally promoted and commercialised sporting event in the world. This fact has led global firms to mandate significant changes in many aspects of traditional Olympics advertising relating to media content, media channel/placement and the overall budget allocation pattern. In pursuit of desired outcomes, sponsorship-linked promotion and marketing that primarily focuses on communication objectives allows both sport authorities and corporate sponsors to reach a considerable number of markets across the world. The aim of this paper was to explore the content characteristics of commercial partners who participated in the 2012 London Olympic Games on the basis of their corporate social responsibility (CSR) and environmental sustainability (ES). The intention is not to merely verify the marketing communication strategies of commercial partners, but to review historical and theoretical perspectives through a systematic review of the Olympic Partners. This facilitates our understanding of why there have been certain historical changes in their marketing communication strategies with regard to CSR and ES. Implications for mega-event managers and future research are also outlined.     

Propaganda and Censorship for the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games: The Internal Politics of Ceausescu

The aim of this paper is to present an overview of the USSR boycott of the 1984 Olympic Games and Nicolae Ceausescu’s decision to send the Romanian Olympic team to Los Angeles, from an internal politics perspective. All the existing analyses study the situation from the perspective of international relations but the aim of this paper is to analyze the ways that Ceausescu incorporates this decision into his own ideology and how the Romanian people were informed. The sports news was published in the newspaper Sportul and some in Scanteia (‘The Official Newspaper of the Central Committee of the Romanian Communist Parti’). We will analyze all the relevant material from January until the end of August 1984 and will focus on the characteristics of propaganda and censorship used to convince the population about Ceausescu’s reasons to participate at the Olympic Games despite the situation. Dominated by the idea of a ‘multilateral developed society’, Ceausescu incorporated sport as part of this ideology and in the case of the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games, he manipulated the population through the media in a particular manner, centred on his ‘cult of personality’.