Kidd, Maureen A. (2016) 'Expanding Horizons': Investigating the Glasgow 2014 Legacy for Young People in the East End of Glasgow
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Kidd, Maureen A. (2016) 'Expanding Horizons': investigating the Glasgow 2014 legacy for young people in the East End of Glasgow. PhD thesis. http://theses.gla.ac.uk/7295/ Copyright and moral rights for this thesis are retained by the author A copy can be downloaded for personal non-commercial research or study This thesis cannot be reproduced or quoted extensively from without first obtaining permission in writing from the Author The content must not be changed in any way or sold commercially in any format or medium without the formal permission of the Author When referring to this work, full bibliographic details including the author, title, awarding institution and date of the thesis must be given Glasgow Theses Service http://theses.gla.ac.uk/ [email protected] ‘Expanding Horizons’: Investigating the Glasgow 2014 Legacy for Young People in the East End of Glasgow Maureen A. Kidd Submitted in fulfilment of the requirement for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Urban Studies College of Social & Political Sciences University of Glasgow 2 Abstract The recent staging of Glasgow 2014 drew universal praise as the ‘Best Games Ever’. Yet the substantial undertaking of hosting the Commonwealth Games (CWG) was sold to the nation as more than just eleven days of sporting spectacle and cultural entertainment. Indeed, the primary strategic justification offered by policymakers and city leaders was the delivery of a bundle of positive and enduring benefits, so-called ‘legacy’. This ubiquitous and amorphous concept has evolved over time to become the central focus of contemporary hosting bids, reflecting a general public policy shift towards using major sporting mega events as a catalyst to generate benefits across economic, environmental and social dimensions, on a scale intended to be truly transformative. At the same time, the academy has drawn attention to the absence of evidence in support of the prevailing legacy rhetoric and raised a number of sociological concerns, not least the socially unequitable distribution of purported benefits. This study investigated how young people living in the core hosting zone related to, and were impacted upon, by the CWG and its associated developments and activities with reference to their socio-spatial horizons, the primary outcome of interest. An ‘ideal world’ Logic Model hypothesised that four mechanisms, identified from official legacy documents and social theories, would alter young people’s subjective readings of the world by virtue of broadening their social networks, extending their spatial boundaries and altering their mind sets. A qualitative methodology facilitated the gathering of situated and contextualised accounts of young people’s attitudes, perceptions, beliefs and behaviours relating to Glasgow 2014. In-depth interviews and focus groups were conducted before and after the Games with 26 young people, aged 14-16 years, at two schools in the East End. This approach was instrumental in privileging the interests of people ‘on the ground’ over those of city-wide and national stakeholders. The findings showed that young people perceived the dominant legacy benefit to be an improved reputation and image for Glasgow and the East End. Primary beneficiaries were identified by them as those with vested business interests e.g. retailers, restaurateurs, and hoteliers, as well as national and local government, with low expectations of personal dividends or ‘trickle down’ benefits. Support for Glasgow 2014 did not necessarily translate into individual engagement with the various cultural and sporting activities leading up to the CWG, including the event itself. The study found that young people who engaged most were those who had the ability to ‘read’ the opportunities available to them and who had the social, 3 cultural and economic capital necessary to grasp them, with the corollary that those who might have gained most were the least likely to have engaged with the CWG. Doubts articulated by research participants about the social sustainability of Glasgow 2014 underscored inherent tensions between the short-lived thrill of the spectacle and the anticipated longevity of its impacts. The headline message is that hosting sporting mega events might not be an effective means of delivering social change. Aspirant host cities should consider more socially equitable alternatives to sporting mega events prior to bidding; and future host cities should endeavour to engage more purposefully with more young people over longer time frames. 4 Table of Contents Abstract .................................................................................................................................. 2 List of Tables.......................................................................................................................... 8 List of Figures ........................................................................................................................ 8 Acknowledgement.................................................................................................................. 9 Author’s Declaration ............................................................................................................ 10 Abbreviations ....................................................................................................................... 11 The Show that Never Ends? ........................................................................... 12 Study Background ................................................................................................. 12 Study Aim .............................................................................................................. 14 Thesis Outline ........................................................................................................ 15 A Leap of Faith .............................................................................................. 17 Chapter Overview .................................................................................................. 17 Sporting Mega Events ........................................................................................... 17 The Allure of Sport ........................................................................................ 19 Sport and Neo-liberalism ............................................................................... 22 In Pursuit of Legacy .............................................................................................. 25 Idealistic Origins ............................................................................................ 25 Evolution of Legacy ....................................................................................... 27 Towards a Definition of Legacy .................................................................... 33 Beyond Legacy Rhetoric ....................................................................................... 37 The Case for Legacy ...................................................................................... 37 The ‘Missing’ Social Dimension ................................................................... 39 Lessons for the Future .................................................................................... 41 Chapter Summary .................................................................................................. 44 Young People’s Horizons .............................................................................. 45 Chapter Overview .................................................................................................. 45 Youth and the Life Course .................................................................................... 45 Theorising Youth in a Post-Modern World ................................................... 46 Self and Society.............................................................................................. 48 New Choices, Old Constraints? ..................................................................... 49 Youth Policy in Scotland ............................................................................... 51 A ‘Life Course’ Perspective ........................................................................... 55 Social Capital Theory ............................................................................................ 56 ‘Weak’ and ‘Strong’ Ties ............................................................................... 59 Bourdieu and Inequality ................................................................................. 60 Social Capital and Young People ................................................................... 61 5 The Social Capitalisation Process .................................................................. 63 Young People’s Social Resources .................................................................. 63 Significance of Place ............................................................................................. 67 Theory of Place Attachment........................................................................... 68 Place Attachment and Young People: The Present ........................................ 70 Place Attachment and Young People: The Future ......................................... 72 Chapter Summary .................................................................................................. 73 Theorising a Glasgow 2014 Legacy ............................................................... 75 Chapter Overview .................................................................................................