Date of Completion

2016

Document Type

Honors College Thesis

Department

Anthropology

Thesis Type

Honors College, College of Arts and Science Honors

First Advisor

Ben Eastman

Second Advisor

Deborah Blom

Third Advisor

Erica Andrus

Keywords

anthropology, sports, games, Brazil, World Cup, Olympics

Abstract

This thesis explores how Brazilians understand, interpret, view, and create meaning out of the 2014 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 Olympic Games. These “mega-events” have and continue to shape Brazilian-ness at the local, national, and international levels, which is what makes them fascinating to analyze. Through Brazilian media sources and American media sources, it was possible to shed light on Brazilian experiences as the World Cup and the Olympic processes unfolded. Specifically, these processes include the bidding, preparations, (and if applicable) executions, and results of these global competitions. It appears many Brazilians experienced a building frustration about hosting the tournament before it took place, which was only exacerbated by the failure of the Brazilian National Team. Additionally, tensions resurfaced during the bidding and preparations for the Olympics due to the globalizing aspects associated with it. However, the street supporting and sharing of living spaces during the World Cup, in addition to the chance to participate in the Olympic experience, eased some of the frustrations that Brazilians expressed. Particularly in light of globalization, seeing how these different attitudes come into the foreground and background will shape Brazil and what it means to be Brazilian over the next few years.

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 License.

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