KIN1904: An Olympic Impact on the World

In the late nineteenth century, Baron Pierre de Coubertin, a French aristocrat, worked tirelessly to revive the Olympic Games from Greek history. Through Baron de Coubertin?s efforts the first Olympic Games of the modern era took place in 1896 in Athens, Greece. From a small sporting event that hosted a little over 300 athletes from 13 countries the Olympic Games have grown over the last 120 years to one of the most viewed sporting events in the world. Today, the Olympic Games hosts over 10,0000 athletes from over 200 countries. The International Olympic Committee (IOC), which runs the Olympic Games, is now one of the most powerful and richest sporting organizations in the world. The Olympic Games have had a profound impact on the world we live in and they provide us with a platform for examining changes in the world?s cultural, economic, social and political processes over the last 120 years. This course explores the impact of the Olympic Games on the world?s cultural, social and political processes. In addition, this course will explore the impact of hosting the Olympic Games on that host city and the country?s economy. Finally, this course will explore the changes in sport that have occurred during this time span.

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