Rhetorical legitimation strategies and sport and entertainment facilities in smaller Canadian cities

ABSTRACT

Research question: This study explores the rhetorical legitimation strategies employed by proponents to justify their support for publicly funding arena construction within their respective communities.

Research methods: Fifty-six semi-structured interviews were conducted with local stakeholders in eight Canadian cities. Participants included city employees (city managers, parks and recreation, tourism), elected officials, arena management, members of chambers of commerce and local business associations, prominent members of the local business community, other politicians (members of parliament), and other relevant stakeholders.

Results and findings: Data analysis identified key rationales employed by proponents in order to justify arena development projects in their cities. These are then discussed in terms of the rational, value-based, and authority-based arguments employed to build and maintain pragmatic, moral, and cognitive legitimacy.

Implications: The legitimation strategies highlighted in this study demonstrate how proponents were able to frame their arguments to build these facilities in a manner that would promote their goals for the city. In particular, the study highlights how this process plays out in smaller cities where the decision to build the facility has already been made.

KEYWORDS:

• Economic development
• quality of life
• discourse
• arenas
• rhetorical strategy
• legitimacy

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada [grant number 410-2007-0150].