Freedom for Catalonia? : Catalan Nationalism, Spanish Identity and the Barcelona Olympic Games (Cambridge Cultural Social Sciences)

Rating:
Summary: Catalonia
Review: Freedom for Catalonia? by John Hargreaves is an interesting study on the Barcelona Olympics and their effect on Catalan nationalism and the Spanish central authorities. Both the Catalans and the Spanish attempted to use the Games as a tool to further their own goals.
Much of the early part of the book is the background necessary to understand the discussion through out the rest. Hargreaves discusses the importance of national identity to the people of Catalonia. We learn that their nationalism tends to be inclusive rather than exclusive, an important principal in the outcome of the games. Although well written, the language in this section is overly academic and difficult for the average college student to grasp.
Hargreaves describes the rival factions vying for control of the content of the games. There are attempts by the nationalists to put as much Catalanism into the Games as possible, by whatever means they can. It is not until the last minute that the content is decided upon. The compromise the sides work out, the paz olimpica, results in a balance where both side benefit. In the end, the Olympics are a triumph for Catalan culture, with out diminishing the prestige of Spain.

Rating:
Summary: Catalonia
Review: Freedom for Catalonia? by John Hargreaves is an interesting study on the Barcelona Olympics and their effect on Catalan nationalism and the Spanish central authorities. Both the Catalans and the Spanish attempted to use the Games as a tool to further their own goals.
Much of the early part of the book is the background necessary to understand the discussion through out the rest. Hargreaves discusses the importance of national identity to the people of Catalonia. We learn that their nationalism tends to be inclusive rather than exclusive, an important principal in the outcome of the games. Although well written, the language in this section is overly academic and difficult for the average college student to grasp.
Hargreaves describes the rival factions vying for control of the content of the games. There are attempts by the nationalists to put as much Catalanism into the Games as possible, by whatever means they can. It is not until the last minute that the content is decided upon. The compromise the sides work out, the paz olimpica, results in a balance where both side benefit. In the end, the Olympics are a triumph for Catalan culture, with out diminishing the prestige of Spain.

Rating:
Summary: An Interesting Look at Sports and Nationlism
Review: In his book, Freedom for Catalonia, John Hargreaves analyzes the extent to which the 1992 Barcelona Olympic Games affected the political, economic, and social relationships between Catalonia and Spain, and the mutual effects that the Games had on the Catalonian and Spanish identities. Hargreaves presents, for the most part, a well thought out argument with a distinctive investigation of the relationship between sport and nationalism. He discusses his own conceptualization of sport as an important entity in both the political and cultural realm, in addition to his intricate notion of ethnic and civic nationalism. These explanations, along with an in depth look at Spanish and Catalonian historical and cultural ties, provide the extensive background necessary to fully appreciate the influence of the Barcelona Olympics on Catalonian nationalism and Spanish identity.
Hargreaves provides a detailed account, based on his personal experience at the Barcelona Olympics, of the two organizing committees' attempts to Catalonize and Espanolize the Games. He explains the important controversies centered around certain Olympic rituals, like the opening, closing, and medal ceremonies. He considers the tensions between the Spanish nationalists, the Catalan nationalists, and the various Catalan Left-wing activist groups that arose from the debate over what role the Catalan flag should play in the games, what languages should be sanctioned, and what type of patriotic music should be played. Hargreaves also discusses, aside from the central concern of the text, to what extent the 1992 Games were Americanized, Europeanized, and globalized.
In conclusion Hargreaves explains how Spanish organizing committee's eventual concession to allow the Games to be Catalonized affected the sense of Catalan nationalism and Spanish identity. He investigates the immediate and lasting effects of the Games on the Catalonian and Spanish people through a rather monotonous series of tables and charts. For the most part, Hargreaves presents an interesting exploration of the affects that the 1992 Barcelona Olympic Games had on the insurgence Catalan nationalism and the relationship between Catalonia and Spain.