A critical analysis of domestic labour mobility in the context of global sports events in Brazil

Critical reports about recent Olympic Games remind us that global sports events are about much more than mere sports. While full attention is given to the intense activities and mobilities during the actual events, there is a different type of human activity and mobility involved during the preparations of these mega events, particularly in relation to the construction of the necessary infrastructures to host all the activities. This social science research project analyses critically the domestic mobilities of labour in the context of global sports events, and more specifically the 2016 Summer Olympics in Brazil. It investigates these dynamics from the analytical perspective of mobility and zooms in on the currently dominant mobility imaginaries, mobility circuits and regimes of mobility. While grounded in anthropology, the study draws on transdisciplinary perspectives and deploys a flexible mixedmethod strategy, combining in-depth ethnographic fieldwork (mainly direct as well as participant observation), semi-structured interviews and focus groups with various stakeholders. These primary data are enriched by secondary archival and media data. The combined focus on the mobile (domestic) workforce and the creation of (temporary) infrastructure will lead to novel insights in the fields of sociocultural anthropology, migration studies, mobility studies and event studies.