Leisure Culture And The Olympic Games

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.

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.

This book explores how cultural policies are reflected in the design, management and promotion of the Olympic Games. Garcia examines the concept and evolution of cultural policies throughout the recent history of the Olympic Games and then specifically evaluates the cultural program of the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games. She argues that the cultural relevance of a major event is highly dependent on the consistency of the policy choices informing its cultural dimensions, and demonstrates how such events frequently fail to leave long-term cultural legacies, and are often unable to provide an experience that fully engages and represents the host community, due to their over-emphasis on an economic rather than a social and cultural agenda.

This much needed book examines all of the major traditions of social thought to clearly show their influence in our understanding of sport and leisure.

In 1973, Wilson Carey McWilliams (1933Ð2005) published The Idea of Fraternity in America, a groundbreaking book that argued for an alternative to AmericaÕs dominant philosophy of liberalism. This alternative tradition emphasized that community and fraternal bonds were as vital to the process of maintaining political liberty as was individual liberty. McWilliams expanded on this idea throughout his prolific career as a teacher, writer, and activist, promoting a unique definition of American democracy. In The Democratic Soul: A Wilson Carey McWilliams Reader, editors Patrick J. Deneen and Susan J. McWilliams, daughter of the famed intellectual, have assembled key essays, articles, reviews, and lectures that trace McWilliamsÕs evolution as a scholar and explain his often controversial views on education, religion, and literature. The book also showcases his thoughts and opinions on prominent twentieth-century figures such as George Orwell and Leo Strauss. The first comprehensive volume of Wilson Carey McWilliamsÕ collected writings, The Democratic Soul will be welcomed by scholars of political science and American political thought as a long-overdue contribution to the field.

A Cultural History of Leisure presents historians, and scholars and students of related fields, with the first comprehensive and interdisciplinary overview of the cultural history of leisure from ancient times to modernity. With six highly illustrated volumes covering 2,500 years, this is the definitive reference work on the subject, comprising:Volume 1: A Cultural History of Leisure in Antiquity (500BC-500AD)Volume 2: A Cultural History of Leisure in the Medieval Age (500-1450)Volume 3: A Cultural History of Leisure in the Renaissance (1450-1650)Volume 4: A Cultural History of Leisure in the Age of Enlightenment (1650-1800)Volume 5: A Cultural History of Leisure in the Age of Empire (1800-1920)Volume 6: A Cultural History of Leisure in the Modern Age (1920-2000+)Each volume adopts the same thematic structure, covering: the idea of leisure; the performing arts and their audiences; the cerebral arts and their publics; sports and games; holydays, holidays and tourism; the world of conviviality; the world of goods; the world of nature and representations of leisure, enabling readers to trace one theme throughout history, as well as gaining a thorough overview of each individual period.The complete 6-volume set comprises c.1,632 pages, 240 illustrations.Special introductory offer (valid up to 3 months after publication): £395 / $550 (full price: £440 / $610)The Cultural Histories SeriesA Cultural History of Leisure is part of the Cultural Histories Series. Titles are available both as printed hardcover sets for libraries needing just one subject or preferring a one-off purchase and tangible reference for their shelves, or as part of a fully searchable digital library available to institutions by annual subscription or on perpetual access (see bloomsburyculturalhistory.com)

Discusses how the winter games related to Norwegian culture and ethos.

The Olympic Games: A Social Science Perspective presents a broad, multi-disciplinary account of all things Olympic from the relationship of the modern to the ancient games, to the possible future of the grandest of athletic spectacles. This extended new edition covers the Olympic phenomenon from political, economical and sociological perspectives, from its history and the media to commercialism and drug use. Its detailed analyses and extensive bibliography make it essential reading for researchers and students in leisure and sports studies.

Based on a decade of research by two leading action sports scholars, this book maps the relationship between action sports and the Olympic Movement, from the inclusion of the first action sports to those featuring for the first time in the Tokyo Olympic Games and beyond. In an effort to remain relevant to younger audiences, four new action sports, surfing, skateboarding, sport climbing, and BMX freestyle were included in the Tokyo Olympic program. Drawing upon interviews with Olympic insiders, as well as leaders, athletes, and participants in these action sports communities, the book details the impacts on the action sports industry and cultures, and offers national comparisons to show the uneven effects resulting from Olympic inclusion. It reveals the intricate workings of power and politics in contemporary sports organisations, and maps key trends in this changing sporting landscape. Action Sports and the Olympic Games is a fascinating read for anybody studying the Olympics, the sociology of sport, action sports, or sport policy.