scholarly journals Olympic Diplomacy and the Emerging States: Striving for Influence in the Multipolar World

2017 ◽  
Vol 23 (79) ◽  
pp. 73-102 ◽  
Author(s):  
Đana Luša

AbstractThe world of sports is a reflection of the world of politics. It is becoming increasingly multipolar with the emerging states hosting mega sporting events. Firstly, the article problematizes the concept of multipolarity and, secondly, globalisation by questioning whether the Olympic Games reinforce national identities and promote national interests by using Olympic diplomacy as a soft power tool. In doing so, the article explores the correlation between the changes in international affairs and the hosting of and participation at the Olympic Games by emerging states such as Brazil, China and Russia. The analysis distinguishes globalisation from the role of the nation-state, by highlighting the evident differences between emerging states in terms of hosting the Games, but also takes into consideration geopolitical and geo-economic parameters.

2016 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 386-389
Author(s):  
Eduardo Oliveira

Evinç Doğan (2016). Image of Istanbul, Impact of ECoC 2010 on The City Image. London: Transnational Press London. [222 pp, RRP: £18.75, ISBN: 978-1-910781-22-7]The idea of discovering or creating a form of uniqueness to differentiate a place from others is clearly attractive. In this regard, and in line with Ashworth (2009), three urban planning instruments are widely used throughout the world as a means of boosting a city’s image: (i) personality association - where places associate themselves with a named individual from history, literature, the arts, politics, entertainment, sport or even mythology; (ii) the visual qualities of buildings and urban design, which include flagship building, signature urban design and even signature districts and (iii) event hallmarking - where places organize events, usually cultural (e.g., European Capital of Culture, henceforth referred to as ECoC) or sporting (e.g., the Olympic Games), in order to obtain worldwide recognition. 


Author(s):  
Olga Kuvaldina ◽  
Volodymyr Driukov

Analysis of Ukrainian athletes’ results at the XXXII Olympiad Games allows pointing out the factors of the weak performance of Ukrainian athletes in women's individual saber and epee competitions, as well as men's team epee competitions, despite the possibility of winning medals in these sports events according to many analysts including those of Infostrada Sports and other sports statistics experts. These, in our opinion, include an unsatisfactory level of efficiency of the process of reaching the peak of readiness for the Olympic Games; lack of psychological stability of athletes at the competitions; weak tactical preparation of some athletes. Based on the performances of athletes of the Ukrainian fencing team in Tokyo, a conclusion was made about the unsatisfactory level of athletes’ preparation for the XXXII Olympic Games. Only 20% of the national team members were able to realize their potential at the XXXII Olympic Games. The dynamics of the athletes’ results at the World Championships 2017 – 2019 indicates the need to use in the new Olympic cycle the planning, which is focused on our athletes reaching the peak of readiness for the Olympics: at first, the training should be aimed at the maximum stimulation of the growth of sportsmanship, whereas at the final stage it should be focused on its realization in the major competitions. It is shown that despite the unsuccessful performance of the Ukrainian fencing team in the Olympic Tokyo, this type of martial arts has significant potential for improving sports achievements at the XXXIII Olympic Games 2024 in Paris. It is noted that in the new Olympic cycle it is of crucial importance to identify candidates for the XXXIII Olympic Games as soon as possible and to create all the conditions for their full-fledged preparation. Thus, to ensure further winning medal places at the Olympic Games, it is necessary to improve the system of sports training in the Olympic cycle, which envisages participation in numerous competitions during the year to achieve a high level of readiness in the major competitions of triennial – the Olympic Games.


Author(s):  
M. V. Kharkevich

The article is devoted to the analysis of the so called impossibility theorem, according to which democracy, state sovereignty and globalization are mutually exclusive and cannot function to the full extent when present simultaneously. This theorem, elaborated in 2011 by Dani Rodrik, a famous economist from Harvard University, poses a fundamental problem about the prospects of the global scalability of political institutions of the nation-state. Is it in principle possible to globalize executive, legislative and judicial branches of power, civil society, and democracy, or is it necessary to limit globalization in order to preserve democracy and nation-state? Rodrik’s conclusions, in essence, make one give up hopes to create global democratic order against the background of global capitalism. On the basis of the Stanford School of Sociological Institutionalism and the reconstruction of the historical materialism by Jürgen Habermas, the author refutes Rodrik’s theorem. The author’s analysis shows that not only is it possible to build democratic order at the global level, but also that it already exists in the form of the world culture that includes such norms as electoral democracy, nation-state, civil society and other institutions of Modernity. The world culture reproduces fundamental social values, playing the role of social integration for the humanity, while global capitalism provides for its material reproduction, playing the role of system integration. However, since globalization is a more dynamic process than the development of the world culture, between material and ideational universalism arises a gap, which in its turn is fraught with various kinds of political and economic crises.


2012 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 99-104 ◽  
Author(s):  
Josef Ploner ◽  
Mike Robinson

2020 ◽  
Vol 65 (11) ◽  
pp. 45-53
Author(s):  
Thuy Le Thi Bich

The power of each nation is determined by many factors, including the role of its culture. Culture is seen as an effective tool of soft power to affirm the image of our country in the international community. As one of the originating centers of Asian civilization and one of the largest, oldest civilizations in the world, India's soft power exists naturally in its own long historical culture. The Indian epic is considered to be the source of soft power, the link between the world and Indian culture, helping Indian culture expand its influence on other countries and the world. In this article, we focus on presenting the unique features of thinking, soul, thought, and “Indian spirit” reflected in the epic - the source of Indian culture and the epic continuation in countries in Southeast Asia. Thereby, this article helps its readers have a comprehensive view of the Indian epic - the source of “soft power” of Indian culture in Southeast Asian countries to strengthen and develop the relationship between India and other countries in Southeast Asia more and more sustainably and lasting.


Power Plays ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 13-20
Author(s):  
Gary Armstrong ◽  
James Rosbrook-Thompson ◽  
Iain Lindsay

2014 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
pp. 121-128 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew Shears ◽  
Emily Fekete

The 2012 Olympic Games was an event watched on television by billions of viewers worldwide. In the United States, approximately 40 million people viewed a tape-delayed opening ceremony of the games on the NBC network. With such a high viewership, NBC was in a position of power to influence and educate their audience on the various countries across the globe who participated in the Olympic Games and opening ceremony. Drawing on Gregory's notion of a ‘geographic imagination’, we suggest NBC editors put their version of the world on display to the American audience, thus influencing the way in which American viewers may understand the world. In this paper, we have constructed a map to provide a visual representation of NBC's geographic imagination. We find this map, based on total screen time the countries received during the ‘Parade of Nations’ segment of the opening ceremony, to suggest a unique geographic imagination worthy of further study because of its potential wide influence.


2015 ◽  
Vol 19 (2) ◽  
pp. 175-185 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dimitris Gargalianos ◽  
Makis Asimakopoulos ◽  
Packianathan Chelladurai ◽  
Kristine Toohey

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document