Sports,Politics,Soft PowerinIR

3 Credits · Level: Graduate, Undergraduate

This course looks at the role a non-traditional variable—sport—plays as a soft power variable in international relations. We will look at the links between sports and politics historically, and the degree to which international relations theory has taken adequate account of its impact. The course will look particularly at the role that sporting events have played in diplomacy, development, and national identity in Asia. We will explore hypotheses to help us understand how to frame, measure, and judge the impact of sports with an eye to studying the political significance of the Olympics historically and other mega-sporting events.