Lexington Books International Sporting Events and Human Rights: Does the Host Nation Play Fair? (Lexington Research in Sports, Politics, and International Relations)

Questions have recently been raised about the political consequences a state experiences when hosting an international sporting event. As the Olympics and FIFA World Cup have visited Brazil and Russia, and the latter is slated to visit Qatar, issues regarding human rights, poverty, and human trafficking have seemingly appeared as frequently in media coverage as the results of competition. This text begins to build an understanding of just how a state's human rights are influenced by both the want and actual experience of hosting. It finds that hosts behave differently when the eyes of the world are on them and that these events do produce positive effects on a state's level of respect for human rights. Yet, it also identifies those areas in which hosts, organizations like the IOC and FIFA, and the international sports regime can help to strengthen and expand human rights Review "Bowersox provides a clear and thorough analysis of how sporting events are not only important to international politics, but may actually alter the way countries interact - both for good or ill. This impressive and balanced examination explores the ways in which hosting and participating in sporting events can have real practical implications for human and international security. The reader is left hoping that as the world confronts the challenges of xenophobia and nationalism, international sport may provide one path by which these division may be mended."--J. Patrick Rhamey Jr., Virginia Military Institute Sport and politics has a dynamic and complex relationship, which is especially true of the Olympic Games and the World Cup. However, the impact of international sporting mega-events is not well studied. Zachary Bowersox details the evolution of these events in international politics, from serving as propaganda stages for despots to platforms of political expression for oppressed populations. Bowersox also addresses the effects of these events for sex trafficking, women's rights, and labor standards. This book contributes specifically to the field of human rights, but it will also stimulate further research for students of sport and politics broadly.--Marc S. Polizzi, Murray State University About the Author Zack Bowersox is lecturer of international affairs at the University of Georgia.