ANNUAL CONFERENCE 2015
Sport, politics and Social Policy, 7 - 8 January, Durham University
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The 9th Sport and Politics Group Annual Conference was held at Durham University on 7-8 January 2015. The conference theme 'Sport politics and social policy' attracted nearly 100 delegates, including visitors from Israel, France, Germany, Poland, Switzerland and Australia. Presentations were given on a diverse range of themes, including: sport policy and social justice, sport and international development, football-related disorder and sport-based social movements and the politics of resistance.
Keynote talks were given by the Rt. Hon. Sir Hugh Robertson MP, former Minister for Sport and the Olympics, who provided some candid insights into the Coalition Government's approach to sport and the challenges it faced in delivering the London Olympic and Paralympic Games. Prof Barrie Houlihan (Loughborough University) gave a keynote talk on the changing landscape of sport policy in England. This was an impassioned appeal for political and social scientists of sport to develop analyses that combine macro- and meso-theoretical approaches in order to take into account how sport policy responds to and interacts with other policy areas. |
 Left to right: Dr Stacey Pope (Durham University), Rt Hon Sir Hugh Robertson MP, Dr Emma Poulton (Durham University)
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Twenty postgraduate students presented at the conference and the
inaugural postgraduate prize for best conference presentation was won by Dennis
Pauschinger (University of Kent/University of Hamburg) who gave a presentation on 'Security at the 2014 World Cup - A look
from the inside'. His presentation was judged to be a lucid analysis of
sports mega events as security spectacles. The postgraduate
prize was kindly funded by Taylor & Francis.
The group convenors would like to thank Dr Iain Lindsey, Dr Emma Poulton and Dr Stacey Pope for their splendid organisation and generous hospitality. Plans are now underway for the 10th annual conference at Bournemouth University in spring 2016.
The group convenors would like to thank Dr Iain Lindsey, Dr Emma Poulton and Dr Stacey Pope for their splendid organisation and generous hospitality. Plans are now underway for the 10th annual conference at Bournemouth University in spring 2016.
