The Olympic Games are without doubt an intercultural mega event. In this essay I have a look on the opening ceremonies of the two last Olympic Games 2010 in Vancouver and 2008 in Beijing. I shed light on the various cultural aspects encompassed in those ceremonies, differentiating between national and Olympic symbols, heroes and rituals expressed during those shows and analyze the underlying values and beliefs that form those cultures. In the final part of this essay I discuss the development of opening ceremonies towards national advertisement disregarding minorities in the national and Olympic societies.
I use different theories about culture and its appearance to interpret the opening ceremonies in Vancouver and Beijing. I compare both Olympics, even though it must be stated that there is an enormous difference between Summer and Winter Olympics with regard to participating nations and sports.
The idea of analyzing the opening ceremonies of the Olympic Games rests on the expectation that those were the moments at which cultural differences become most obvious for the worldwide TV audience. It is expected that especially cultural differences between the athletes can be seen during the different competitions, but as I have no source about what happened behind the various TV cameras I can hardly analyze those aspects of intercultural interaction.
Furthermore all Olympic opening ceremonies share some elements that are implemented in the idea of the Olympic movement. It should therefore be possible to find those elements, analyze their meaning for the Olympic movement and separate it from all the other ‘show’ elements that are essential for today’s opening ceremonies.
In this essay I answer the question how we (the non-host community) perceive the host nation’s culture as it is expressed during the opening ceremony.
I also analyze critics of the Olympic opening ceremonies, not only concerning the ‘ignorance’ of minorities, but also the use of ‘fakes’ to make the whole ceremony look bigger and more glamorous than it really is. I will also pace the question whether it is really necessary to make every new opening ceremony bigger and more expensive than the ones before and whether this does clash with the values of the Olympic movement.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Theoretical considerations
3. The Olympic Winter Games 2010 in Vancouver
3.1 Summary of the Vancouver opening ceremony
3.2 Canadian culture at the opening ceremony
3.3 Olympic culture at the opening ceremony
4. The Olympic Summer Games 2008 in Beijing
4.1 Summary of the Beijing opening ceremony
4.2 Chinese culture at the opening ceremony
4.3 Olympic culture at the opening ceremony
5. Comparison between the two opening ceremonies
5.1 Levels of culture expressed in the opening ceremonies
5.2 Perceptions of culture
5.3 Globalization through the Olympic Games
6. Criticism of Olympic opening ceremonies
6.1 Treatment of ethnic minorities
6.2 Further points of criticism
6.3 Economic implications of hosting Olympic Games
7. Conclusion
Objectives and Topics
This essay examines the opening ceremonies of the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver and the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing to analyze how host nations express their national culture and identity within the framework of the Olympic movement. It explores the interplay between national symbols, Olympic traditions, and the critical perceptions surrounding the representation of minorities and the socio-economic impact of these mega-events.
- Analysis of national and Olympic symbols, heroes, and rituals in opening ceremonies.
- Application of Hofstede & Hofstede’s and Schneider & Barsoux’s theories on culture to interpret Olympic events.
- Critique of social inclusion and the treatment of ethnic minorities in host nations.
- Examination of the economic and political motivations behind hosting the Olympic Games.
Excerpt from the Book
The Olympic Winter Games 2010 in Vancouver
The Olympic opening ceremony on February 12, 2010 at British Columbia Place Stadium in Vancouver (Lee, 2010) began with the dedication of the ceremony to the Georgian luger Nordan Kumaritashvili, who lost his life during a training run on that day (Friesen, 2010). This expresses a strong Olympic value of respect for what the athletes do when performing their sport and taking the risks of accidents like this of Kumaritashvili. The first ‘real’ sequence of the opening ceremony was when a Canadian snowboarder on the way down a mountain, suddenly jumped through giant Olympic rings into the stadium (Crary, 2010). The Olympic rings, representing all parts of the world, are one of the most important symbols of the Olympic movement, which might be recognized by every single person worldwide.
One of the most obvious moments of celebrating the host nation is when its national flag is carried into the stadium and the national anthem is performed (Friesen, 2010). Those symbols are also very important for the Olympics as it expresses the pride of a nation after making enormous efforts to host the Games in their country.
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: Outlines the scope of the essay, focusing on the cultural analysis of the 2008 Beijing and 2010 Vancouver opening ceremonies.
2. Theoretical considerations: Defines culture using Hofstede’s mental programming framework and introduces tools like the Johari window for intercultural analysis.
3. The Olympic Winter Games 2010 in Vancouver: Details the Vancouver ceremony, highlighting how Canadian national culture and core Olympic values were presented.
4. The Olympic Summer Games 2008 in Beijing: Examines the Beijing ceremony, noting its focus on Chinese history, state-orchestrated harmony, and national projection.
5. Comparison between the two opening ceremonies: Contrasts how Vancouver and Beijing managed cultural representation, perceptions, and the role of globalization.
6. Criticism of Olympic opening ceremonies: Discusses controversies surrounding the treatment of minorities, the use of staged 'fakes', and the economic burden of hosting.
7. Conclusion: Summarizes findings on the necessity of aligning Olympic host performances with authentic cultural expression and democratic values.
Keywords
Olympic Games, Opening Ceremonies, Cultural Analysis, National Identity, Vancouver 2010, Beijing 2008, Hofstede, Intercultural Communication, Ethnic Minorities, Globalization, Symbolic Representation, Event Management, Social Inclusion, Political Impact, Olympic Values.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this essay?
The essay analyzes the opening ceremonies of the 2010 Vancouver and 2008 Beijing Olympic Games to determine how host nations leverage these events to project their national identity.
Which theoretical frameworks are applied?
The author primarily utilizes Hofstede & Hofstede’s theories on cultural mental programming and Schneider & Barsoux’s framework for analyzing the deeper meanings of cultural artifacts and rituals.
What is the primary goal of the research?
The goal is to interpret the cultural expressions during these ceremonies and evaluate whether they align with or clash against the values promoted by the Olympic movement.
Which methodology is used to analyze the ceremonies?
The analysis follows a qualitative approach, observing symbols, heroes, and rituals present during the ceremonies to infer underlying societal values and beliefs.
What topics are discussed in the main body?
The main body covers individual summaries of both ceremonies, a comparative analysis of their cultural representation, and a critical discussion of controversies regarding minority inclusion and the use of 'fakes'.
Which keywords best characterize the work?
Key terms include Olympic Games, cultural analysis, national identity, globalization, and social inclusion.
How does the author view the treatment of the First Nations in Vancouver?
The author argues that while their inclusion was a trial for social integration, it felt like an isolated gesture that lacked depth and failed to genuinely represent the everyday realities of indigenous people.
Why were the Chinese 'fakes' during the Beijing opening ceremony criticized?
The criticism stems from the ethical concerns of prioritized perfection—such as lip-synching and digitally animated fireworks—which the author suggests are unnecessary and detract from the authentic essence of an Olympic ceremony.
- Quote paper
- Silke Specht (Author), 2010, Opening ceremonies of Olympic Games and their cultural applications, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.hausarbeiten.de/document/232180
