Gayle McPherson – författare

As the event management field expands, there has been an emergence of a distinctive ‘events’ policy field of study and a need for more advanced texts that look at this subject with a multidisciplinary research and theoretical orientation.

Events Policy: From Theory to Strategy is the first text to embrace this new direction in the field of events management. Its main aim is to locate the phenomena of events (and festivity) within a theoretical and strategic framework and, in doing so, demonstrate the links between the development of events in policy-making and the theoretical exploration of the role of events as policy. Building on a strong coherent framework, the book explores the conceptual terrain in which events and festivities are located, evaluates the range of theoretical perspectives pertinent to the study of events policy, appraises the socio-economic and socio-cultural implications of event-led policies internationally and draws together the main theoretical and event policy issues for the future. It utilizes a good range of international cases, from Dubai, Singapore, New Orleans and Glasgow, to help demonstrate the relationships between theory and strategy, and includes useful features to help students understand the subject and deepen their knowledge of the events policy terrain.

This groundbreaking volume will be essential reading for students, researchers and academics of events and other related disciplines.

As the event management field expands, there has been an emergence of a distinctive ‘events’ policy field of study and a need for more advanced texts that look at this subject with a multidisciplinary research and theoretical orientation.

Events Policy: From Theory to Strategy is the first text to embrace this new direction in the field of events management. Its main aim is to locate the phenomena of events (and festivity) within a theoretical and strategic framework and, in doing so, demonstrate the links between the development of events in policy-making and the theoretical exploration of the role of events as policy. Building on a strong coherent framework, the book explores the conceptual terrain in which events and festivities are located, evaluates the range of theoretical perspectives pertinent to the study of events policy, appraises the socio-economic and socio-cultural implications of event-led policies internationally and draws together the main theoretical and event policy issues for the future. It utilizes a good range of international cases, from Dubai, Singapore, New Orleans and Glasgow, to help demonstrate the relationships between theory and strategy, and includes useful features to help students understand the subject and deepen their knowledge of the events policy terrain.

This groundbreaking volume will be essential reading for students, researchers and academics of events and other related disciplines.

The digital turn in leisure has opened up a vast array of new opportunities to play, learn, participate and be entertained – opportunities that have transformed what we recognise as leisure. This edited collection provides a significant contribution to our changing understanding of digital leisure cultures, reflecting on the socio-historical context within which the digital age emerged, while engaging with new debates about the evolving and controversial role of digital platforms in contemporary leisure cultures.

This book also demonstrates the interdisciplinary nature of studying digital leisure cultures. To make sense of how individuals and institutions use digital spaces it is necessary to draw on history, science and technology, philosophy, cultural studies, sociology and geography, as well as sport and leisure studies. This important and timely study discusses both the promise of the digital sphere as a realm of liberation, and the darker side of the internet associated with control, surveillance, exclusion and dehumanisation.

Digital Leisure Cultures: Critical perspectives is fascinating reading for any student or scholar of sociology, sport and leisure studies, geography or media studies.

This empirically-grounded text examines the policy, planning, development and implementation of disability sport events. It draws insights from a major international comparative study of different types of large multi-national sporting events: integrated events where able-bodied athletes and athletes with a disability compete alongside one another, and non-integrated events where athletes with a disability are separated by time but occurring in the same location.

Guided by a critical disability studies perspective, the book highlights the strategic opportunity of sporting events to influence social change around community participation, and attitudes and awareness about disability more broadly. It also challenges assumptions about positive event legacies and suggests a need for a multi-lateral approach to planning.

An important read for students, researchers and scholars in the fields of sport policy, sport development, disability sport, sport management, disability studies and event studies.

This empirically-grounded text examines the policy, planning, development and implementation of disability sport events. It draws insights from a major international comparative study of different types of large multi-national sporting events: integrated events where able-bodied athletes and athletes with a disability compete alongside one another, and non-integrated events where athletes with a disability are separated by time but occurring in the same location.

Guided by a critical disability studies perspective, the book highlights the strategic opportunity of sporting events to influence social change around community participation, and attitudes and awareness about disability more broadly. It also challenges assumptions about positive event legacies and suggests a need for a multi-lateral approach to planning.

An important read for students, researchers and scholars in the fields of sport policy, sport development, disability sport, sport management, disability studies and event studies.