Freedom for Catalonia?

Abstract

Although the fight for independence by national minorities has received much attention recently, there is no study of how globalised sport in its most advanced form can help to stimulate it. This book shows how the 1992 Olympic Games raised the tension that already existed between Catalonia and Spain, from the time they were awarded to Barcelona until they opened. John Hargreaves analyses and explains the way in which the conflict developed and eventually was resolved, in terms of the special characteristics of Catalan nationalism, the nature of the new Spanish democracy and the special role played by the International Olympic Committee. This book will be relevant to academics, researchers and postgraduates specialising in nationalism and Catalan nationalism, as well as being of interest to teachers, researchers and students of political sociology, cultural studies and sports studies, and professionals working in the fields of culture, sport, recreation and leisure.

The relationship between sports and national identity in Europe in 20th century

“…showcasing both the national flags in the stadium. This was for the first time that the Catalan national symbols showed equality with the Spain symbols 26 . The Catalan folk custom was presented at the time of the opening ceremony, initiated with the remarkable castles de xiquest, (human towers), which is a traditional sport in which a team of boys and girls attempt to compete by building the highest tower.…”

Accounting for internal variation in nationalist mobilization: unofficial referendums for independence in Catalonia (2009–11)

“…Finally, this case is relevant because it exists within a context of deep transformation of Catalan nationalism. Even if Catalan nationalism has been all Unofficial referendums for independence 47 but a homogenous movement -conservative and leftist, moderate and radical versions of it have alternatively been hegemonic in different periods (Balcells 1996) -the most common portrayal of it describes the movement as moderate and 'pactist' (Conversi 2000;Hargreaves 2000;Keating et al 2003), often contrasted with an allegedly more radical and secessionist Basque nationalism. Indeed, the moderate nationalist party Convergència i Unió (CiU), which held power from 1980 to 2003, did not make of the issue of secession a matter of debate (Keating 1997).…”

Angles morts: la poesía de Àlex Susanna y la creación de lo catalán a través del arte y su experiencia

“…Como lo argumenta Hargreaves, el nacionalismo étnico tiende a limitar fronteras dentro de las cuales los individuos deben poseer ciertos atributos para ser legítimamente aceptados; el modelo cívico en cambio, extiende la aceptación a la totalidad de la población de un territorio dado, sin importar su proveniencia étnica. 33 Las constantes referencias a lo catalán en la poesía de Susanna se convierten en el espacio en el que la lengua de su poesía, el catalán, se une a la cultura de un pueblo para apoyar la configuración de algo propio al alcance de todos y a partir de una emoción libre y no determinada, y enlaza con la visión de una poesía y un lector normalizados y no elitistas dentro de la poesía de la experiencia. De tal modo, À lex Susanna está dando un giro a las concepciones nacionalistas en su uso de lo catalán, empleando rasgos de un nacionalismo étnico (la cultura) para acercarse a una proyección cívica abierta a la masa lectora con la que procura establecer puentes, en la proyección de una poesía de la experiencia como lírica que pretende ser útil al lector dialogando con su realidad y cotidianeidad, de la que poeta y lector son ciudadanos y ante la cual deben responder activamente sin vincularse de modo necesario a un ideario político.…”