Faculty of Business: Leisure, Sport and Tourism
Credit points: 6 cp

Subject level: Undergraduate

Result Type: Grade and marks

Handbook description

The Olympic Games is a significant phenomenon in contemporary sport, tourism and culture with a growing research literature. This subject covers the cultural, sociological, economic and media impacts on the Games, and the philosophy of Olympism and impacts of the Sydney 2000 event.

Subject objectives/outcomes

On successful completion of this subject students should be able to:

1. Discuss the origins and history of the ancient and modern Olympic Games and movement.
2. Critically analyse the issues which have affected the modern Olympic Games.
3. Evaluate and appraise the social and economic impacts of the Sydney 2000 Olympics.

Contribution to graduate profile

The Olympic Games are the most influential sporting event in the world. With Sydney having hosted the Games in 2000, the popularity and level of interest surrounding the event has continued to be large. This elective subject provides knowledge and understanding of the Games and provides students with a background in a significant phenomenon in contemporary sport, tourism and culture.

Teaching and learning strategies

Teaching and learning strategies include; field trips, guest lectures, student presentations, tutorials and formal lectures. Content for this subject will be supported by UTS Online.

Content

• The Ancient Olympics: An overview of the history and myths of the Ancient Games and how this has impacted on the construction and organisation of the modern Games
• The Revival of the Games: An introduction to the various Olympic festivals held from the cessation of the Ancient games to the revival of the Modern games
• The founder of the Modern Olympics, Baron Pierre de Coubertin and the formative influences on his philosophy of sport and the philosophy of Olympism
• Issues in the Modern Games: political dimensions; cultural, sociological and media dimensions of the Games; economic impacts of the Games; and organisational structures of the Olympic movement
• Sydney 2000: Material will include an examination of the process of winning the bid, S.O.C.O.G. structure and the social and economic impacts of the Games.

Assessment

Preparation Assessment (Individual)	25%
This addresses objectives 1-3.
Presentation (Group)	30%
This addresses objectives 1-3.
Essay (Individual)	45%
This addresses objectives 1-3.

Each assessment item will be secure through a combination of continual updating of assessment across semesters, multiple topic choice within semesters and/or plagiarism detection software.

Recommended text(s)

Toohey, K. and Veal, A. (2000). The Olympic Games: A Social Science Perspective. UK: CABI Publishing.

Gordon, H. (1994). Australia at the Olympic Games. St Lucia, Qld: University of Queensland Press.

Indicative references

Lucas, J.A. (1992). The Future of the Olympic Games. Champaign, Ill: Human Kinetics.

Simson, V. and Jennings, A. (1992). The Lords of the Rings: Power, Money and Drugs in the Modern Olympics. London: Simon and Schuster.

Veal, A.J., Burkhardt, A., Toohey, K. and Haxton, P. (1998) The Olympic Games: A Bibliography, 2nd edition. School of Leisure and Tourism Studies, University of Technology, Sydney. Available:

www.uts.edu.au/fac/business/leisure_tourism/Bibs/Olympic.htm.