Sport and Politics in the UK

Question 1

Describe David Cameron’s plan of ‘muscular liberalism’ in an attempt to unite Britain - Sport and Politics in the UK

Answer 1

Cameron viewed Britain as being split and divided, in need of bringing together across class, ethnic and other divides. He proposed ‘muscular liberalism’, a set of uniform soft liberal values that would bridge communities.

Question 2

What are key institutions and values associated with Britain? What state were these in as London 2012 approached? - Sport and Politics in the UK

Answer 2

Britain is associated with sport, the BBC, the NHS, unionism, class identity, Parliament. Many institutions, such as the NHS and Parliament, were weakened and less a part of British identity as before, as were the unions.

Question 3

What is nation branding? Describe Gudjonsson’s approach to this - Sport and Politics in the UK

Answer 3

Nation branding, according to Gudjonsson, is the altering of the identity or attitudes of a nation by representing it differently. This will increase positivity or the benefits available to a nation.

Question 4

How was Britain ‘nation branded’ in the late 1990s? - Sport and Politics in the UK

Answer 4

Britain was ‘branded’ in the wave of ‘Cool Britannia’ in the 1990s. This was done through music (Oasis, Blur, Pulp, etc.), films, sport, Politics (New Labour) and more.

Question 5

How can sports form communities? How can this be linked to Anderson’s ‘imagined communities’? - Sport and Politics in the UK

Answer 5

Sports can create communities as they can link disparate and varied groups of people together behind a person or team. It can form an ‘imagined community’ of people who will never know each other and that most people within that community will never know the majority of people within it.

Question 6

How have the Olympics been politicised previously? (1936/1992/2002/2008) - Sport and Politics in the UK

Answer 6

1936 - Berlin Olympics, used by Hitler to showcase Nazi Germany while dialling down worst excesses on world stage.
1992 - Barcelona, stoked intra-state nationalism within Spain, encouraged greater nationalism.
2002 - Salt Lake City, first post 9/11 Olympics, defiant patriotism in response to this.
2008 - Beijing allowed China to display power to the world.

Question 7

How are sports often implicated in ‘nation branding’? What instances are there of this occurring? - Sport and Politics in the UK

Answer 7

Sports can be used in order to bring attention to a nation, allowing their images to be changed or reinforced. This has occurred through hosting of events, like instances of ‘sports washing’ - Qatar 2022, Saudi Pro League, Boxing events, etc.

Question 8

Describe Hobsbawm’s perspective on the power of sports to empower nations - Sport and Politics in the UK

Answer 8

Hobsbawm believed that sports allow people to unify behind a national identity, and that they did so in a unique and effective fashion. As it is aspired that people will be good at sports, viewing people doing so while representing their nation will unify and inspire others.

Question 9

What is the significance of the ‘Green and Pleasant Land’ introduction to the Olympic Ceremony? - Sport and Politics in the UK

Answer 9

‘Green and Pleasant Land’ was the only portion of the show to feature contributions from the sub-state nations of the UK. It portrays the ‘rural Britishness’ of old, and stands in contrast to what follows. The title of this section is from ‘Jerusalem’, however, the song most clearly associated with England performed in this section of the ceremony.

Question 10

What is the significance of the ‘Pandemonium’ portion of the Olympic Ceremony? - Sport and Politics in the UK

Answer 10

Pandemonium portrays the transformation of Britain from rural to industrial - showing class politics is a major element of this. It also celebrates the extreme industrial capitalism that created the modern UK. It also excludes the controversies and tensions of representing Empire, yet does show Windrush, alluding to immigration, yet does little else to acknowledge this.

Question 11

What is the significance of the ‘Second to the Right and Straight on Till Morning’ portion of the Olympic Ceremony? - Sport and Politics in the UK

Answer 11

This section of the ceremony showed the institutions of the UK, including the monarchy, significantly alongside James Bond. It also shows the NHS.

Question 12

What is the significance of the ‘Frankie and June Say… Thanks Tim’ portion of the Olympic Ceremony? How does the reception of this contrast with the France 98 WC? - Sport and Politics in the UK

Answer 12

This portion of the ceremony was vilified by the right wing press, most notably the Daily Mail, for portraying a multi-ethnic country and family. This contrasts with France 98, which was proudly multi-ethnic despite some opposition from the French far right.

Question 13

What is Barrie Houlihan’s assessment of the power and limitations of sport to bind together a national community? Why is this? - Sport and Politics in the UK

Answer 13

Houlihan recognises the powerful impact that sport is capable of having over creating a national community and identity, but that this can be short-lived or ineffective at times. The relevance of sporting success is not eternal, as can be seen in how the 1966 WC win was overshadowed 4 years later and the optimism of the 2012 Olympics had eroded away within a short period.

Question 14

Explain Clarke and Clarke’s view on the correlation between sport and British values - Sport and Politics in the UK

Answer 14

Clarke and Clarke drew a parallel between the values of sport and the values supposedly synonymous with Britishness - fair play, playing by the rules, a respect for authority and others, discipline, etc.

Question 15

Describe Gellner’s perspective on the continuity and change in national identities - Sport and Politics in the UK

Answer 15

Gellner sees national identity as being in flux rather than predetermined around certain ideas, aspects and values. Values may persist, but significant elements are changed by ‘historical interventions’

Question 16

Describe Houlihan’s explanation for the importance of sport to Germany’s national identity as an example - Sport and Politics in the UK

Answer 16

Sport is central to Germany’s national identity according to Houlihan as there had been struggles to identify national images not associated to Nazism or the Cold War. As such, national unity was fostered through sports stars (Schumacher, Becker, etc.) and national teams.

Question 17

Define Beck’s concepts of sport diplomacy and sport as diplomacy respectively - Sport and Politics in the UK

Answer 17

Sport diplomacy - governments using sport (teams, athletes, tours) as a means for diplomacy
Sport as diplomacy - when sporting bodies and governing bodies interact with international actors and governing actors

Question 18

What is Dichter’s argument over the actions of diplomatic bodies and sporting bodies? - Sport and Politics in the UK

Answer 18

Dichter argues that, while sporting bodies attempt to appear apolitical, they do in actual fact interact heavily with diplomatic bodies. Sporting bodies will often make decisions with a political element, often under pressure from governments.

Question 19

What was Norman Tebbit’s ‘cricket test’? How was this received/responded to? - Sport and Politics in the UK

Answer 19

Tebbit’s ‘cricket test’ was one applied to migrants in the UK from South Asian or Caribbean backgrounds. If they did not support the England team at cricket, Tebbit deemed that they had not sufficiently integrated into their new home. This was responded to with allegations of racism by some groups, questioning whether he would expect the same of English migrants living in Australia.

Question 20

Describe Joseph Maguire’s assessment of how sports can be synonymous with particular countries. Explain his example of cricket with England - Sport and Politics in the UK

Answer 20

Maguire explains that particular sports are often a fundamental part of the identity for a particular nation. He uses cricket as an example for England, arguing it embodies values of fair play, valour, graceful conduct. It also embodies ‘male upper class Englishness’.

Question 21

What is the concept of the ‘janus face’ of nationalism, as formulated by Tom Nairn? - Sport and Politics in the UK

Answer 21

The ‘janus face’ of nationalism describes how nationalism often has 2 diverging ambitions to it - to remember past glories, but also to push into a prosperous, modernising future.

Question 22

How did sport encapsulate and become part of existing tensions between the UK (England) and Australia in 1992, according to Maguire? - Sport and Politics in the UK

Answer 22

In 1992, Maguire argues that, following diplomatic tensions between the UK and Australia after a royal visit (Keating Affair), vitriolic media campaigns, political pressure and nationalist aggression led the Cricket World Cup match between the 2 nations to become dominated by vitriolic rhetoric and almost act as a subsidiary of that particular diplomatic conflict.

Question 23

How did Maguire argue that sport can actually undermine national unity? - Sport and Politics in the UK

Answer 23

Maguire argued that sport could undermine national unity, particularly in the context of the UK due to the competition and confrontation it creates between sub-state nations. This is particularly the case in Football and Rugby, which can create a major rivalry between nations.