Rethinking security at the Olympics

The Olympics have become an object of security exceptionalism, wherein perceptions of danger are greater than normal and so the normal means of public security provision are greatly expanded. Because the Games provide a unique opportunity for countries to show their best side to the world and for cities to climb the global hierarchy of importance (Degen 2004; Short et al. 2000; Shoval 2002), most agree that security should equally rise to the occasion. In contrast to the self-evidence with which the urgencies of Olympic threats are normally presented, we seek to denaturalise the claim to exceptionalism and highlight some of the underlying social valuations that contribute to the Olympic state of alarm. Several contributors to this volume address the implications of specific security behaviours. We offer a conceptual framework within which the security mindset can be understood and debated.

ISBN:0-415-60262-9

Jaar van publicatie:2011

Trefwoorden:Olympics, security