1/0 /02/1 /13 � KNES 287 Sport and American Society: Module 1 Topic B � This week’s focus: POLITICS and the POLITICAL ORDER � � Culture � “Sport and the Neoliberal Political � Order” � Politics � � � � Sport � Economy � � � � Adam S. Beissel � Physical Cultural Studies Program � Department of Kinesiology � Technology � What is the inter-relationship between sport and politics? What is Politics? � Topic 1: � Sport and Politics � Politics refers to the structures, processes, and practices of governance; the mechanisms whereby people's lives are controlled, shaped, and regulated by external forces (forces external to the individual). � � Political power refers to the ability to shape/ � control/regulate people's lives. � � England team, Berlin 1938 � Sport and Politics 2008 � � Presidential � � Campaign � Donations � We need to fully understand the variations and complexities of the: � � sport politics relation � TV ad with former Olympians Lebron James � � supporting Mitt Romney 1 �
1/0 /02/1 /13 � Sport or Politics? � Sport or Politics? � Video Clip 1 “Starting Point Guard” � and � � Sarah Palin being introduced as the � “Hockey Mom” � Republican vice-presidential candidate � Barak Obama at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, 2008 � for the 2008 general election � � � Sport and Politics 2012 � These would seem to be examples of � the sportization of politics. � � For our purposes, it is more appropriate to discuss the politicization of sport. � "One of the promises he made was he was going to create more jobs, � and today, there are 23 million people out of work or have stopped looking for work or underemployed…Let me tell you: If you have a � coach that's zero and 23 million, you say it's time to get a new coach… � It's time for America to see a winning season again, and we are going to bring it to them."” � � � (Mitt Romney speech, Union Terminal, Cincinnati, September 1, 2012) � What is Politics? � Macro-Politics: The ability to GOVERN (control/shape/regulate) lives on a societal level � Politics refers to the structures, processes, and practices of governance; the mechanisms whereby people's lives are controlled, shaped, and regulated by external forces (forces external to the individual). � � Political power refers to the ability to shape/ � control/regulate people's lives. � � Elected Government � Monarchy � � � 2 �
1/0 /02/1 /13 � Micro-Politics: The ability to GOVERN (control/shape/regulate) lives on a personal level � Within any power structure, certain � individuals/groups hold more power � than others. � � This is dependent upon the way the � society is organised; what are the � factors determining the social (power) � hierarchy)? � Team Politics � Office Politics � However, in this module, we will focus on � macro politics and SPORT… � The Olympic Games are highly politicized global sporting spectacles through which various political Reproduction of � systems have been showcased. � the Political System � Berlin 1936 – � [Aryan] National � Socialism/ � Authoritarianism � Type and Values, structures of beliefs, and governance ideas related and rule � to the political Los Angeles 1984 – � system � Democratic � Moscow 1980– � State Communism � Republicanism � HEGEMONY ALERT! � Even for an authoritarian POLITICAL SYSTEM to function effectively, there has to be a degree of IDEOLOGICAL CONSENSUS: � This is a classic example of � � Antonio Gramsci’s notion � � of HEGEMONY, which � A common agreement in the IDEAS, VALUES, speaks to the subtly � and BELIEFS [IDEOLOGY] underpinning the coercive operations/ � SYSTEM OF RULE [POLITICAL FORMATION]. � workings of ideology and Antonio � political power. � Gramsci � (1891-1937) � 3 �
1/0 /02/1 /13 � HEGEMONY refers to the situation in which � a DOMINANT GROUP (that holding political � Reproduction of � the Political System � power), is able to WIN the SUPPORT of the � MASSES [NORMALIZE: render normal and taken for granted] for its position of POWER/AUTHORITY � Winning of the � Type and Values, masses consent Hegemony is a process of MANIPULATING � structures of beliefs, and to/support of PUBLIC OPINION in order that the people � governance ideas related [NORMALIZING] ACTIVELY CONSENT (agree) to the and rule � to the political the political IDEOLOGY underpinning the: � system � system � � POLITICAL ORDER: SYSTEM OF RULE � Comparing and Contrasting Sport and � Topic 2: � Political Formations/Ideologies � China, State Capitalism, � and the sport politics � relation � Chinese � “State Capitalism” � (2008) � “U.S. Neoliberal � Rollerball � Capitalism” � “Corporate Autocracy” � (2012) � (c. 2018) � The Chinese state, in the guise of the Communist � Clearly, the system of governance within � Party, closely control all aspects of society but have � contemporary China is very different from � allowed a degree of economic reform leading to � increased levels of private ownership. � that within Western “democratic” societies. � “Two Chinas” � Authoritarian � Privatizing � State � Economy � Chinese � “State Capitalism” � (1) Authoritarian Politics � (2) Consumerist Culture � 4 �
1/0 /02/1 /13 � The Coercive and Authoritarian Dimensions of � Wielding Political Power I: Suppressing Dissent � Chinese State Capitalism and the Beijing Olympics � Wielding Political Power II: Coercing the Masses � Wielding Political Power III: Controlling Information � The Demolished “Hutong” of central Beijing � The Olympic Games as Propaganda Exercise � Beijing 2008: A Two Week ($22 billion plus) Broadcast on � Behalf of the Chinese Communist Party? � Confirming China’s status as a “21 st century superpower”, and legitimating the Chines State socialist political system � INTERNALLY and EXTERNALLY through: � � � � � � 1. Spectacular and Monumental � Staging of the Games � � 2. Athletic Success � 5 �
1/0 /02/1 /13 � Wielding Political Power: Manufacturing the Spectacle/ � Sport as INTERNAL Politics? � � � � � Manufacturing Consent � Winning the hearts and minds � of the Chinese populace, to � the State Capitalist political � Beijing 2008 and HEGEMONY of � system. � Chinese State Capitalism � Video Clip 2 Beijing 2008 and the Hegemony of Chinese State Capitalism � Reproduction of � the Political System � Winning of the Type and Values, masses consent structures of beliefs, and to/support of governance ideas related [NORMALIZING] and rule � to the political the political system � system � “[The Communist Party] Using the Games to demonstrate � its earned the right to stay in power” � Topic 3: � Of course, there are different types of society, Rollerball, Corporate � with very different systems of government Autocracy, and the � (forms of politics). � � Suppression of Individualism � In order to begin to � understand the � sport politics relation in early 21 st � century U.S., we will compare it with: � � World Society c. 2018 � (“Rollerball” society) � 6 �
1/0 /02/1 /13 � Sport in 2018 Politics in 2018 � “Rollerball” society is governed by a group of � global corporate monopolies. The polity and � economy are indivisible. All aspects of society � controlled by the Majors. � The Majors: � Transport/Food/Communication/ Housing/Luxury/Energy � Global � “Corporate Autocracy” � Video Clip 4 Corporate “command” polity/economy Rollerball is a political tool of � Individual needs and wants supplied by corporate society, allowing it to � corporate structures in return for absolute govern effectively. � compliance/ obedience. � But what are its “SOCIAL” (read � POLITICAL) PURPOSES? � � In other words, how is ROLLERBALL � politicized? � � 2. Advancement of Group Ethic and � 1. Cathartic Release and Narcotic Conformity � Suppression of Individualism � “Ladies and gentlemen, our corporate anthem” � 7 �
Recommend
More recommend
