How have mega-events developed, expanded, and changed? How do society and politics influence mega-events? How has scandal and reform within the international sport community shaped the selection process for hosting mega-events?

GLOBAL SPORTS IN PERSPECTIVE BID BOOK ASSESSMENT

This module will introduce students to the contemporary landscape in global sport, using mega-events as a focus. It will use historical and contemporary approaches to these events, and will, while teaching students about structures, governance, management, and commercial aspects, encourage critical thinking on political, social, cultural, and economic lines. It will take as its starting point the boom in major sporting events, both single sport ones and multi-sport events. It will begin with a historical perspective on how these events have emerged, and how they link to the different contexts in which they have flourished, and then move into critical contemporary analysis of existing events. The module is based around such themes as: bidding and hosting processes; infrastructure; management and control of events, at central and local levels, and including such issues as security, advertising and marketing, media rights, and volunteering; and legacies. This module will include visits, eg to the Olympic Park.

The whole module will be based around such questions as:
How have mega-events developed, expanded, and changed?
How do society and politics influence mega-events?
How has scandal and reform within the international sport community shaped the selection process for hosting mega-events?
How does urban planning impact mega-events, and vice versa?
How do national, cultural, political, and commercial differences within and between countries impact mega-events?

Objectives and Learning Outcomes
By the end of this module students will:
Demonstrate an understanding of the evolution of sporting mega-events, linking to historical, geographical, political, and cultural contexts.
Demonstrate an understanding of key themes in the global economy of contemporary sporting mega-events, such as governance, hosting, infrastructure, security, commercialisation, and volunteering.
Apply critical thinking to real world mega-events.
Analyse and synthesise primary research sources in the development of a coherent narrative, with consideration of ethical principles
Demonstrate an ability to express yourself and your viewpoint in written work, seminars, and presentations.