Surveilling and Securing the Olympics

Abstract

Surveillance and security have historically served as means by which to cope with the complexities of the Olympics and the uncertainties these generate. Based on empirically grounded analysis of fifteen Olympics starting with Tokyo 1964 and through London 2012, contributed by leading international researchers, the book develops the notion of security meta-ritual. This is a meta-level of framing which enables the organization and communication of security as the adjustable sieve that uses surveillance to select what is permitted to enter the world of Olympic spectacle. In this way, it creates highly controlled conditions under which the Olympics can be performed as planned and without disruption.