Privileged mobility: employment and experience at the Olympic Games

Abstract

This study examines narrative accounts which report experiences gained at the London 2012 Olympic Games. The authors were temporary migrants who were motivated to pursue work and leisure opportunities offered by the host city. An emic perspective reveals the meanings accorded to the experiences and a model is presented which describes patterns of mobility and social interaction within an environment shaped by Olympic symbolism and dominant media messages. The model indicates the relative importance of factors in different experiential zones located at event sites and throughout the host city.

Keywords:

• event experience
• new work
• privileged mobility
• sport tourism
• personal narratives