The Olympics

"The Olympics: A Critical Reader" represents a unique, critical guide to the definitive sporting mega-event and the wider phenomenon it represents - Olympism. Combining classic texts and thoughtful editorial discussion with challenging new pieces, including previously unseen material, the book systematically addresses the key questions in modern Olympism, including: What does studying Olympism entail? How do historical accounts create and challenge Olympic myths? How do different theoretical perspectives inform our understanding of Olympism? Which socio-political processes influence personal, collective and imagined Olympic identities? How do we experience and make sense of Olympism? Who owns Olympism and why does it matter? How do cities compete for and celebrate the Olympics? How are the Olympic values promoted? Why is it important to protect the ethical principles and properties of Olympism? What are the grounds for contesting Olympism? How can Olympism be taught? How can the principles and practices of Olympism be sustained in the future? Each thematic part has been designed to include a range of views, including background treatment of an issue as well as critical scholarship, to ensure that students develop a well-rounded understanding of the Olympic phenomenon. "The Olympics: A Critical Reader" is essential reading for students of the Olympics and Olympism, the sociology of sport, sport management and cultural studies.

ISBN 0415445361   Pages 464 ISBN13 9780415445368 (What's this?)   Weight (grammes) 839 Publisher Taylor & Francis Ltd   Published in London Imprint Routledge   Height (mm) 246 Format Paperback   Width (mm) 174 Publication date 01 Sep 2008   Academic level Undergraduate DEWEY 796.48   Alternative ISBN 9780415445351 DEWEY edition DC22

		Introduction		1
Pt. 1		Studying Olympism		7
1		Studying Olympism by Vassil Girginov		9
Pt. 2		Documenting Olympism		23
2		Post-Olympism? Questioning Olympic historiography by Douglas Booth		25
3		From Olympia 776 BC to Athens 2004: The origin and authenticity of the modern Olympic Games by David Young		40
4		Olympic Games and historical imagination: Notes from the fault line of tradition and modernity by Mark Dyreson		50
Pt. 3		Theorising Olympism		65
5		A never-ending story: The philosophical controversy over Olympism by Lamartine DaCosta		67
6		Olympic Games and the theory of spectacle in modern societies by John J. MacAloon		80
7		The Olympics and 'global citizenship' by Maurice Roche		108
Pt. 4		Negotiating Olympic identities		121
8		Hellenism and Olympism: Pierre de Coubertin and the Greek challenge to the early Olympic movement by Dikaia Chatziefstathiou and Ian Henry		123
9		Staging the nation: Gendered and ethnicized discourses of national identity in Olympic opening ceremonies by Jackie Hogan		135
Pt. 5		Imagining Olympism		151
10		Meet the 'trainers': The Olympic producers by Andrew Billings		153
11		Where the games never cease: The Olympic Museum in Lausanne, Switzerland by Daryl Adair		172
12		Paralympic 'lived history': Reflections of a participant observer by David Howe		191
Pt. 6		Owning Olympism		209
13		A brief overview of the Olympic system by Jean-Loup Chappelet and Brenda Kubler-Mabbott		211
14		Who owns the Olympics? Political economy and critical moments in the modern games by Michael R. Real		221
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