HOW DO INTERNATIONAL SPORT EVENTS EXPRESS NATIONAL IDENTITY?

How do international sport events express national identity?

International Events Industry

Athletic identity (AI) is the sport specific component of an individual's self-concept and is the extent to which an individual identifies with the athletic role.1 As a social role, AI develops as a response to group affiliations and social interactions.2 and 3 As a cognitive schema, AI is the means by which individuals interpret information and behave according to the conventions of the athlete role. Typically viewed as a multidimensional construct, AI encompasses social, cognitive, and affective elements.

Brewer et al.1 argue that individuals who value the athletic element of the self-concept are more likely to engage in physical activity than those who do not. Thus, individuals with strong athletic identities are more likely to participate in sport than those with weak athletic identities. Danish4 also contends that a strong sense of self as athlete is a necessary requirement for success at higher levels of sport. Research that has examined the relationship between AI and sport participation has produced equivocal findings. Some studies (e.g.,3, 5 and 6) have found AI increases with level of sport participation, thus supporting Danish's proposition. However, a number of other studies have found no differences in AI between different sporting levels (e.g.,7, 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12). What appears to be a more consistent finding is an AI difference between individuals who participate in sport and those who do not. Sport participants, regardless of participation level, appear to identify more strongly with the athletic role than individuals who do not participate in sport in any form.

The 2008 Summer Olympics opening ceremony was held at the Beijing National Stadium, also known as the Bird's Nest. It began at 8:00 pm China Standard Time (UTC+8) on August 8, 2008, as 8 is considered to be a lucky number. The number 8 is associated with prosperity and confidence in Chinese culture. The stadium was full to its 91,000 capacity according to organizers.

The ceremony was directed by Chinese filmmaker Zhang Yimou, who was the chief director and was assisted by Chinese choreographers Zhang Jigang and Chen Weiya. The director of music for the ceremony was composer Chen Qigang. It was noted for its focus on ancient Chinese culture, and for its creativity, as well as being the first to use weather modification technology to prevent rainfall. The final ascent to the torch featured Olympic gymnast Li Ning, who appeared to run through air around the membrane of the stadium. Featuring more than 15,000 performers, the ceremony lasted over four hours and was reported to have cost over US$100 million to produce. The opening ceremony was lauded by spectators and various international presses as spectacular and spellbinding and by many accounts "the greatest ever".

The 1974 FIFA World Cup, the tenth staging of the World Cup, was held in West Germany from 13 June to 7 July. West Germany had been chosen in July 1966 as hosts by ...