Vassil Girginov – författare

How do Olympic legacies come about? This book offers an alternative approach to the study of Olympic and mega-sport event legacy, challenging how legacy is conceptualised and practised. It shifts the focus from legacy as a retrospective concept concerned with what has been left behind after the Games, to a prospective one interested in actions and interactions stimulated by the Games. The book argues that creating Olympic legacy is a continuing four-stage process involving ‘investing’ (the accumulated common Olympic cultural capital), ‘interpelling’ (forming a trusteeship relationship where one party undertakes to change the capacity of another), ‘developing’ (ensuring participation in interactions and resource development) and ‘codifying’ (documenting, sharing and remembering legacies so they become cultural capital). It presents a developmental approach to the Olympics which involves vision, trustees and trusteeship and is concerned with capacity building at individual, organisational and societal levels. Thinking of Olympic legacy as capacity building allows seeing the goal of legacy as an embodiment of the aspirations of the Olympic Movement and the Games to introduce radical change in society by transforming its structure. Rethinking Olympic Legacy is essential reading for all students and scholars within an interest in the Olympics, as well as for administrators, policymakers and planners involved with mega-sport events.

This multidisciplinary text is a comprehensive introduction to the central themes and background of the modern Games.The text considers a range of topics including: the ancient Olympicsthe modern revival of the nineteenth century the development of the Games throughout the twentieth century. the media and the OlympicsOlympic marketing and sponsorship.Complemented by a dedicated website offering access to unique archive and other document sources, this book brings its audience the best Olympic educational expertise available.

An awesome festival of sporting excellence and competition, the Olympic Games have now evolved into a major international event with great cultural, political, economic and social importance.The Olympic Games Explained is an introductory guide to the history and meaning of the four-yearly phenomenon that is the modern Olympic Games. The book provides a comprehensive overview of ‘Olympism’ from its Ancient Greek origins through the beginnings of the International Olympic Committee to the global Olympic Movement in the twenty-first century.Each chapter offers a range of study tasks and review questions to help students develop their understanding of key concepts in Olympic studies.

The Olympics: A Critical Reader represents a unique, critical guide to the definitive sporting mega-event and the wider phenomenon it represents – Olympism. Combining classic texts and thoughtful editorial discussion with challenging new pieces, including previously unseen material, the book systematically addresses the key questions in modern Olympism, including: what does studying Olympism entail? how do historical accounts create and challenge Olympic myths? how do different theoretical perspectives inform our understanding of Olympism? which socio-political processes influence personal, collective and imagined Olympic identities? how do we experience and make sense of Olympism? who owns Olympism and why does it matter? how do cities compete for and celebrate the Olympics? How are the Olympic values promoted? why is it important to protect the ethical principles and properties of Olympism? what are the grounds for contesting Olympism? how can Olympism be taught? how can the principles and practices of Olympism be sustained in the future?Each thematic part has been designed to include a range of views, including background treatment of an issue as well as critical scholarship, to ensure that students develop a well-rounded understanding of the Olympic phenomenon. The Olympics: A Critical Reader is essential reading for students of the Olympics and Olympism, the sociology of sport, sport management and cultural studies.

The Olympics: A Critical Reader represents a unique, critical guide to the definitive sporting mega-event and the wider phenomenon it represents – Olympism. Combining classic texts and thoughtful editorial discussion with challenging new pieces, including previously unseen material, the book systematically addresses the key questions in modern Olympism, including: what does studying Olympism entail? how do historical accounts create and challenge Olympic myths? how do different theoretical perspectives inform our understanding of Olympism? which socio-political processes influence personal, collective and imagined Olympic identities? how do we experience and make sense of Olympism? who owns Olympism and why does it matter? how do cities compete for and celebrate the Olympics? How are the Olympic values promoted? why is it important to protect the ethical principles and properties of Olympism? what are the grounds for contesting Olympism? how can Olympism be taught? how can the principles and practices of Olympism be sustained in the future?Each thematic part has been designed to include a range of views, including background treatment of an issue as well as critical scholarship, to ensure that students develop a well-rounded understanding of the Olympic phenomenon. The Olympics: A Critical Reader is essential reading for students of the Olympics and Olympism, the sociology of sport, sport management and cultural studies.

Modern Olympism emerged at the end of the nineteenth century as a philosophy of social reform that sought to use sport for the betterment of the world. It drew on a number of intellectual and material sources, including the ancient Greek heritage, philosophical ideas of Enlightenment, the English educational system, and the emerging spirit of industrial capitalism and internationalism. It is an eclectic and non-systematic body of knowledge, and has always been a controversial project. Indeed, in the words of its founder, Pierre de Coubertin (1863–1937), Olympism is an ‘unfinished symphony’.Interpretations of the fundamental tenets of Olympism concerning universalism, education, eligibility, independence from political and commercial interference, and fair play have been constantly negotiated and renegotiated through political, cultural, social, economic, and sporting struggles. These interpretations are reflected in various editions of the Olympic Charter and in a multitude of academic studies.Edited and introduced by Vassil Girginov, this new four-volume collection from Routledge brings together key primary-source materials and the very best scholarship and commentary to elucidate and explore the evolution and interpretations of Olympism and its practical manifestation in the modern Olympic Games. The collection includes archive materials (some of which are reproduced in facsimile to give users a strong sense of immediacy to the original texts), personal accounts of major figures, as well as critical scholarship. Olympic Studies will also make readily accessible the best research produced under the auspices of Routledge’s ambitious 2012 Olympic Collection whereby over forty Olympic-focused journal special issues from a wide range of disciplines appeared during 2012 and 2013.Fully indexed and with a comprehensive introduction, newly written by the editor, which places the collected material in its historical and intellectual context, Olympic Studies is an essential work of reference. It is destined to be welcomed as a vital one-stop research tool.

This is the first book to address the link between culture and sport management. The aim is to demonstrate that culture profoundly affects how we research, teach and practice sport management. The book engages with the concept of culture both as an abstract analytical category and specific beliefs and practices. It recognizes that a single best way of managing does not exist; that the applicability of management theories may stop at national boundaries; and that fundamental cultural values act as a strong determinant to managerial ideology and practice. Culture makes the study of sport management interesting because it challenges many taken-for-granted assumptions about management, yet it reinforces our belief in the existence of common management problems.The book offers a comprehensive review of the conceptualisations of culture and its relation with sport management by examining a range of issues: the emergence of multiculturalism as a policy issue; the impact of commonly shared cultural values within the fitness industry on managers and organisations behaviour; building cultural bridges in community sport organisations; cultural meanings attached to the consumption of Olympic merchandise, and culturally-informed interpretation through a reflective analysis of sport management texts.This book was published as a special issue of European Sport Management Quarterly.

The Handbook of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games is the first authoritative and comprehensive account of the world’s greatest sporting and cultural event. It tells the complete story of the 2012 Games from inception, through the successful bidding process and the planning and preparation phase, to delivery, the post-Games period and legacy. Written by a world-class team of international Olympic scholars, the book offers critical analysis of the social, cultural, political, historical, economic and sporting context of the Games. From the political, commercial and structural complexities of organising an event on such a scale, to the sporting action that holds the attention of the world, this book illuminates the key aspects of the 2012 Games, helping us to better understand the vital role that sport and culture play in contemporary global society.The book is divided into two volumes: Volume Two - Celebrating the Games, examines the period of competition and immediately afterwards, covering key topics such as: London welcomes the world - hospitality and the look of the games Experiencing the games -spectators, tourists, volunteers, shoppers, viewers Media and communications Running the games Creating Olympic celebrities Protesting the games Commerce, retail and consumption Documenting London 2012 in films and books The legacy of the 2012 Games for London, the UK and the Olympic MovementRichly illustrated with the personal accounts of key stakeholders, from sports administrators and politicians to athletes and spectators, and including essential data and evocative visual material, this book is essential reading for anybody with a personal or professional interest in the Olympic and Paralympic Games, global culture or the development of sport.

The Handbook of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games is an authoritative and comprehensive account of the world’s greatest sporting and cultural event. It tells the complete story of the 2012 Games from inception, through the successful bidding process and the planning and preparation phase, to delivery, the post-Games period and legacy. Written by a world-class team of international Olympic scholars, the book offers analysis of the full social, cultural, political, historical, economic and sporting context of the Games. From the political, commercial and structural complexities of organising an event on such a scale, to the sporting action that holds the attention of the world, this book illuminates every aspect of the 2012 Games, helping us to better understand the vital role that sport and culture play in contemporary global society. The book is divided into two volumes. Volume One: Making the Games, examines the build-up to London 2012, covering key topics such as: the bidding process planning and decision making financing the Games developing the infrastructure engaging national and international governing bodies of sport engaging the UK public engaging a global public developing a legacy programme the Cultural Olympiad. Richly illustrated with the personal accounts of key stakeholders, from sports administrators and politicians to athletes and spectators, and including essential data and evocative visual material, this book is essential reading for anybody with a personal or professional interest in the Olympic and Paralympic Games, global culture or the development of sport.

This is the first book to address the link between culture and sport management. The aim is to demonstrate that culture profoundly affects how we research, teach and practice sport management. The book engages with the concept of culture both as an abstract analytical category and specific beliefs and practices. It recognizes that a single best way of managing does not exist; that the applicability of management theories may stop at national boundaries; and that fundamental cultural values act as a strong determinant to managerial ideology and practice. Culture makes the study of sport management interesting because it challenges many taken-for-granted assumptions about management, yet it reinforces our belief in the existence of common management problems.The book offers a comprehensive review of the conceptualisations of culture and its relation with sport management by examining a range of issues: the emergence of multiculturalism as a policy issue; the impact of commonly shared cultural values within the fitness industry on managers and organisations behaviour; building cultural bridges in community sport organisations; cultural meanings attached to the consumption of Olympic merchandise, and culturally-informed interpretation through a reflective analysis of sport management texts.This book was published as a special issue of European Sport Management Quarterly.

This is the first book to critically examine the relationship between running events in local, national and international welfare policy, their marketing and management, and the resulting social impacts.Drawing on original empirical research, the book presents a series of illustrative case studies, with each chapter containing take-home messages for sport and events managers looking to improve their professional practice. Developing a new theoretical perspective on running events, the book presents data from around the world, including five European countries, the US and China. It covers different types of events, from big city marathons to community park runs, and new types of events such as path and trail runs, night runs, ultra runs, extreme runs and obstacle runs, presenting a typology of running events that will help shape the future analysis of this rapidly growing sector. The book also examines the market for running events, runners’ socio-demographic profiles, the main management and marketing approaches and techniques used by organisers, and the socio-economic impacts of running events, such as the effect on people’s attitudes and behaviours, organisational planning, city promotion and social interactions.Running events are central to sport at all levels, from grassroots to professional, so this book is essential reading for any student, researcher or practitioner working in sport management, sport development, sport policy, the sociology of sport or event studies.

This is the first book to critically examine the relationship between running events in local, national and international welfare policy, their marketing and management, and the resulting social impacts.Drawing on original empirical research, the book presents a series of illustrative case studies, with each chapter containing take-home messages for sport and events managers looking to improve their professional practice. Developing a new theoretical perspective on running events, the book presents data from around the world, including five European countries, the US and China. It covers different types of events, from big city marathons to community park runs, and new types of events such as path and trail runs, night runs, ultra runs, extreme runs and obstacle runs, presenting a typology of running events that will help shape the future analysis of this rapidly growing sector. The book also examines the market for running events, runners’ socio-demographic profiles, the main management and marketing approaches and techniques used by organisers, and the socio-economic impacts of running events, such as the effect on people’s attitudes and behaviours, organisational planning, city promotion and social interactions.Running events are central to sport at all levels, from grassroots to professional, so this book is essential reading for any student, researcher or practitioner working in sport management, sport development, sport policy, the sociology of sport or event studies.

Now in a fully revised and significantly expanded new edition, Management of Sports Development is a complete introduction to the theory, policy and practice of sports development. With a focus on professional knowledge and managerial competencies, this book defines conceptually and semantically the field of sports development and explains how a clear vision, managed processes of change and effective delivery can lead to the best sustainable outcomes for people, communities and sports organisations.The first section of this book introduces the developmental doctrines that underpin contemporary sports development and considers how research and writing about sports development influence policy and practice. The second section of this book then explores the diversity of perspectives and interests in the sports development landscape, from public policy, international sports development to cultural perspectives and social value. The third section takes a closer look at the personal, organisational and social change stimulated by sports development visions, a critical consideration for effective strategy, programme implementation and management, including current issues such as social justice, sustainability and mega‑sporting events. The fourth and final section of this book looks closely at delivery, unpacking key functional areas such as governance, building organisational capacity, networks and partnerships, volunteering, digitalisation, and monitoring and evaluation.Management of Sports Development is an essential textbook for any sport development course and is invaluable reading for any policy maker or practitioner looking to improve their subject knowledge or professional skills.

Now in a fully revised and significantly expanded new edition, Management of Sports Development is a complete introduction to the theory, policy and practice of sports development. With a focus on professional knowledge and managerial competencies, this book defines conceptually and semantically the field of sports development and explains how a clear vision, managed processes of change and effective delivery can lead to the best sustainable outcomes for people, communities and sports organisations.The first section of this book introduces the developmental doctrines that underpin contemporary sports development and considers how research and writing about sports development influence policy and practice. The second section of this book then explores the diversity of perspectives and interests in the sports development landscape, from public policy, international sports development to cultural perspectives and social value. The third section takes a closer look at the personal, organisational and social change stimulated by sports development visions, a critical consideration for effective strategy, programme implementation and management, including current issues such as social justice, sustainability and mega‑sporting events. The fourth and final section of this book looks closely at delivery, unpacking key functional areas such as governance, building organisational capacity, networks and partnerships, volunteering, digitalisation, and monitoring and evaluation.Management of Sports Development is an essential textbook for any sport development course and is invaluable reading for any policy maker or practitioner looking to improve their subject knowledge or professional skills.

This Handbook adopts an intercultural perspective to present the first systematic analysis of the relationship between culture and sport. The Handbook is structured around an innovative analytical framework comprising the seven key dimensions of the culture-sport nexus, integrating the meanings and structures of sport with the interpretation of culture.With expert perspectives from authors specialising in cultural studies, anthropology, sociology, marketing, management and psychology, this Handbook utilises case studies and practical examples to explore the dynamic relationships between sport and culture. Chapters expand on the cultural production and consumption of traditional and new sports, the singularisation and homogenisation of sport cultures and political recognition of cultural issues and multiculturalism in sport. This Handbook integrates the meanings and structures of sport with the interpretation of culture as an organizing force which enables meaningful interactions between individuals, groups and communities.The Handbook on Sport and Culture is an essential reference for academics and students of sport, sociology and cultural studies, as well as business, management and policy. Policy makers and actors within sporting and cultural institutions will also find the insights presented here invaluable.

The book highlights ‘new perspectives’ on volunteerism in sport, covering frameworks, methods, context and variables on several levels from community sport clubs to international events. In analysing the processes of control within voluntary sport clubs, a new theoretical framework – critical realism (CR) – challenges how we think about theory and how scientific inquiry should proceed. Further themes raised are: Should sports clubs be viewed as a crossing between a traditional volunteer culture dominated by collective solidarity, and a modern volunteer culture focused on the individual benefits? Are former athletes a new group of possible volunteers? Can personal narratives of experiences of being a volunteer in a big international event provide us with new insight that has not previously been considered? Identity is suggested as a motive for understanding volunteers at sporting events. Two new theoretical models are presented, one on the development of volunteer commitment and the other on a framework that incorporates both individual- and institutional-level variables. All chapters have recommendations for future research. The testing of these theories and influencing factors will provide new directions in the research of sport volunteerism. This book was originally published as a special issue of European Sport Management Quarterly.

How do Olympic legacies come about? This book offers an alternative approach to the study of Olympic and mega-sport event legacy, challenging how legacy is conceptualised and practised. It shifts the focus from legacy as a retrospective concept concerned with what has been left behind after the Games, to a prospective one interested in actions and interactions stimulated by the Games. The book argues that creating Olympic legacy is a continuing four-stage process involving ‘investing’ (the accumulated common Olympic cultural capital), ‘interpelling’ (forming a trusteeship relationship where one party undertakes to change the capacity of another), ‘developing’ (ensuring participation in interactions and resource development) and ‘codifying’ (documenting, sharing and remembering legacies so they become cultural capital). It presents a developmental approach to the Olympics which involves vision, trustees and trusteeship and is concerned with capacity building at individual, organisational and societal levels. Thinking of Olympic legacy as capacity building allows seeing the goal of legacy as an embodiment of the aspirations of the Olympic Movement and the Games to introduce radical change in society by transforming its structure. Rethinking Olympic Legacy is essential reading for all students and scholars within an interest in the Olympics, as well as for administrators, policymakers and planners involved with mega-sport events.

The Handbook of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games is an authoritative and comprehensive account of the world’s greatest sporting and cultural event. It tells the complete story of the 2012 Games from inception, through the successful bidding process and the planning and preparation phase, to delivery, the post-Games period and legacy. Written by a world-class team of international Olympic scholars, the book offers analysis of the full social, cultural, political, historical, economic and sporting context of the Games. From the political, commercial and structural complexities of organising an event on such a scale, to the sporting action that holds the attention of the world, this book illuminates every aspect of the 2012 Games, helping us to understand better the vital role that sport and culture play in contemporary global society. The book is divided into two volumes. Volume One: Making the Games, examines the build-up to London 2012, covering key topics such as: the bidding process planning and decision making financing the Games developing the infrastructure engaging national and international governing bodies of sport engaging the UK public engaging a global public developing a legacy programme the Cultural Olympiad. Richly illustrated with the personal accounts of key stakeholders, from sports administrators and politicians to athletes and spectators, and including essential data and evocative visual material, this book is essential reading for anybody with a personal or professional interest in the Olympic and Paralympic Games, global culture or the development of sport.

The Handbook of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games is the first authoritative and comprehensive account of the world’s greatest sporting and cultural event. It tells the complete story of the 2012 Games from inception, through the successful bidding process and the planning and preparation phase, to delivery, the post-Games period and legacy. Written by a world-class team of international Olympic scholars, the book offers critical analysis of the social, cultural, political, historical, economic and sporting context of the Games. From the political, commercial and structural complexities of organising an event on such a scale, to the sporting action that holds the attention of the world, this book illuminates the key aspects of the 2012 Games, helping us to understand better the vital role that sport and culture play in contemporary global society.The book is divided into two volumes: Volume Two - Celebrating the Games, examines the period of competition and immediately afterwards, covering key topics such as: London welcomes the world - hospitality and the look of the games experiencing the games -spectators, tourists, volunteers, shoppers, viewers media and communications running the games creating Olympic celebrities protesting the games commerce, retail and consumption documenting London 2012 in films and books the legacy of the 2012 Games for London, the UK and the Olympic Movement.Richly illustrated with the personal accounts of key stakeholders, from sports administrators and politicians to athletes and spectators, and including essential data and evocative visual material, this book is essential reading for anybody with a personal or professional interest in the Olympic and Paralympic Games, global culture or the development of sport.

The book highlights ‘new perspectives’ on volunteerism in sport, covering frameworks, methods, context and variables on several levels from community sport clubs to international events. In analysing the processes of control within voluntary sport clubs, a new theoretical framework – critical realism (CR) – challenges how we think about theory and how scientific inquiry should proceed. Further themes raised are: Should sports clubs be viewed as a crossing between a traditional volunteer culture dominated by collective solidarity, and a modern volunteer culture focused on the individual benefits? Are former athletes a new group of possible volunteers? Can personal narratives of experiences of being a volunteer in a big international event provide us with new insight that has not previously been considered? Identity is suggested as a motive for understanding volunteers at sporting events. Two new theoretical models are presented, one on the development of volunteer commitment and the other on a framework that incorporates both individual- and institutional-level variables. All chapters have recommendations for future research. The testing of these theories and influencing factors will provide new directions in the research of sport volunteerism. This book was originally published as a special issue of European Sport Management Quarterly.

Management of Sports Development is the first book to offer a holistic approach to a field which has been growing in importance for some years. Although many books exist on various aspects of development, never before has there been a text which addresses the process of development in such a comprehensive manner. This book offers eveything needed to develop an understanding of the process of sports development.The book provides comprehensive coverage of the major themes in the process of sports development with contributions from an internationally renowned author team. These themes include:models of sports developmentfunding of sports developmentmega sporting eventsnetworks and partnerships in sports developmentsports development and social changeIt is also supplemented with a dedicated accompanying website featuring updates and extra material.This accessible book is essential reading for students or lecturers in the field of sports development and is set to be a vital contribution to the literature in this area.