Identity Discourses and Communities in International Events, Festivals and Spectacles

International events, festivals and spectacles provide far-reaching opportunities for meaningful connectivity and offer important cultural resources for people to construct individual and collective identities. They help to develop, consolidate and display the distinctive identities of the participants, and they also offer a platform for the critical reflection of identity issues and constitute high-profile forums to challenge, question and contest identity projects.

Identity Discourses and Communities in International Events, Festivals and Spectacles focuses on these issues and investigates the multi-layered links between identity formation processes and events. The book assembles a unique line-up of international scholars and offers a diverse range of contemporary international case studies, including carnivals, fashion shows, music festivals, religious events, sports competitions and spectacles.

Udo Merkel is a Senior Lecturer at the School of Sport and Service Management, University of Brighton, UK.

1. Making Sense of Identity Discourses in International Events, Festivals and Spectacles; Udo Merkel

2. Il Calico as a Source of Local and Social Identity in Italy; Mark Doidge

3. The Contestation of Identities and Communities in German Football; Udo Merkel

4. Contemporary Images and Identities in the Hong Kong Dragon Boat Festival; Brian Bridges and Glos Ho Wing-Yan

5. The 2012 London Olympics: Urban Imagery and City Branding; Adam Jones

6. Royal Celebrations in the 21st Century - Cool Britannia versus Britannia ruled the waves; Beth Mudford

7. Identity Discourses and Narratives in North Korean Events, Festivals and Celebrations; Udo Merkel and Gwang Ok

8. China and the World Exposition (1915-2010): Blending Nationalism and Internationalism; Zhouxiang Lu

9. Promoting European Identities at and through International Events; Jayne Luscombe

10. Muhammad's Birthday Celebrations in the Middle East: Uniting or Dividing the Islamic Community?; Andrea L. Stanton

11. Pride and Glamour on the Catwalk: Fashion Models as National and Ethnic Icons; Patricia Soley-Beltran

12. Participating in the World 'Gymnastics for All' Festival, the Gymnaestrada: A Celebration of a Dialogical, Episodic-Perpetual Identity; Angela Wichmann

13. 'One but not the same': U2 Concerts, Community and Cultural Identity; Michael Williams