Mega-Events and Globalization ─ Capital and Spectacle in a Changing World Order

Since the turn of the twenty first century, there has been a trend for urban "mega events" to be awarded to cities in the East and Global South. Such events have routinely been viewed as economic stimulants, yet there has also been on-going controversy about the value, impact and legacy of global mega events in these nations.

The book examines the ambition for spectacle that has emerged from these nations. The chapters explore the theoretical and conceptual issues associated with this trend, from the critical political economy of mega-events in a changing world order to the social issues and contested legacies of mega-events in the East and Global South. This book also explores questions of governance, corporate power and the State; in recent years there has been a power shift away from local and regional governance towards increased powers of corporate bodies with no formal relationship to state or political accountability. This book also considers living the mega-events, from celebration to opposition and resistance.

This book offers a rich and diverse collection of original contributions and global case studies from leading international scholars from the social sciences and humanities. It offers a unique blend of critical analyses to synthesize cutting edge research on mega-events and urban spectacles while simultaneously contributing to a broader understanding of the dynamics of global capitalism and international political power in the early twenty first century.

Richard Gruneau is Professor of Communication at Simon Fraser University, Vancouver, Canada. He has written widely in critical political economy, media studies, popular culture, and sport studies. His books includeArtificial Ice: Hockey, Commerce and Culture (co-edited with David Whitson, 2006);The Missing News: Filters and Blind Spots in Canada’s Press (with Robert Hackett and NewsWatch Canada, 2000);Class, Sports and Social Development (1983, 1999); and Hockey Night in Canada: Sport, Identities and Cultural Politics (with David Whitson, 1993).

John Horne is Professor of Sport and Sociology in the School of Sport, Tourism and The Outdoors at the University of Central Lancashire, Preston, U.K.. He has written widely in the sociology of leisure, consumer culture, and sport studies. His previous books include Sport and Social Movements: From the Local to the Global(with Harvey, Safai, Darnell and O’Neill, 2014); Understanding Sport: A Socio-Cultural Analysis, 2^nd Edition (with Tomlinson, Whannel and Woodward, 2013);Understanding the Olympics (with Whannel, 2012); and Sport in Consumer Culture (2006).