Entering the Global Arena: Emerging States, Soft Power Strategies and Sports Mega-Events (Mega Event Planning) - Hardcover

Grix, Jonathan; Brannagan, Paul Michael; Lee, Donna

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 9811379513 ISBN 13: 9789811379512

Publisher: Palgrave Pivot, 2019

Synopsis

Set against a backdrop of concerns about the potential break-up or radical change to the global world order, this volume sets out to investigate the use of sports mega-events by a number of emerging states.
Sports mega-events, it is argued, can be understood as a key component in states’ ‘soft power’ strategies, that is, their attempts to showcase their nations on the international stage, increase their power relative to others via non-coercive means and to increase trade and tourism. Many studies on soft power simply cite the concept’s founder (Joseph Nye) and make little attempt at unpicking the mechanisms behind its creation. This volume does this by shining a light on emerging economies and by putting forward a soft power ‘ideal type’ to aid researchers in understanding the strategies employed by states in advancing their interests.

About this title

About the Author:

Jonathan Grix is Professor of Sport Policy and Head of the Sport Policy Unit at Manchester Metropolitan University. He has published over 50 peer-reviewed articles on sport politics, sports policy and the politics of sports mega-events. Jonathan is the Editor-in-Chief of the International Journal of Sport Politics and Policy.  
Paul Brannagan is a Political Sociologist, specializing in the study of sport. His research focuses on the use of mega-events by national governments for achieving political, economic, social and cultural objectives. Paul has published in some of the leading politics and leisure journals, including Leisure Studies, Global Society and International Affairs. 
Donna Lee is Professor of Political Economy and Head of the Department of Economics, Policy and International Business at Manchester Metropolitan University. She has published widely on political economy and diplomacy and is the co-editor of the Palgrave Diplomacy & International Relations monograph series.

Review:

“The concept of “soft power” has rapidly become one of the most significant ways to understand sports mega-events today. This book offers a succinct introduction to the concept as an intellectual heuristic, but does not stop there: it guides readers through 5 case studies of how actors in emerging states use sports mega-events to advance their interests in the global arena. This unique comparative look at sports mega-events in Brazil, Russia, China, South Africa, and Qatar offers an accessible primer on precisely how and why “soft power” is far more than marketing and branding. Scholars of political science, IR, geography, sports studies, and beyond will certainly find this book to be the beginning, rather than the end, of important discussions about power, politics, and sports in the today’s shifting geopolitical terrain.” (Natalie Koch, Associate Professor & O’Hanley Faculty Scholar, Department of Geography, The Maxwell School, Syracuse University, USA)

About this edition

• Publisher: Palgrave Pivot
• Publication date: 2019
• ISBN 10: 9811379513
• ISBN 13: 9789811379512
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 130