Olympics Controversy Or The Respatialization Of (Gay) Social Life

Sochi Olympics Controversy or the
Respatialization
of (Gay) Social Life by Brindusa Ioana Nastasa

Introduction
Many theorists and academics have tried to define the concept of globalization over the past 30 years or so. However, there is an ongoing debate on what the exact definition is. This essay will look at the definitions put forward by sociologist, Ulrich Beck, and professor of politics and international relations, Jan Aart Scholte, and apply their views to the media reporting of the Sochi Olympics and the boycott caused by the anti-gay propaganda ban in Russia.
Based on the media reporting of the Winter Olympics, I will try to argue that there is no ‘civilizational community of fate’ that produces a cosmopolitan outlook,

For example The Guardian featured, on the same day, 5th of February 2014, an article called “Western Leaders Boycott Sochi Winter Olympics” whereas in the Comments section, journalist Marc Bennetts strongly criticized the Western reaction to Putin anti-gay propaganda law. Beck talks about the importance of the media in constructing public perceptions of risk, but Cottle argues that many theorists, including Beck, Giddens, Albrow and Robertson, who claim the media has the most important role in proclaiming a global crisis, fail to go deeper and analyze how the media ‘construct the public elaboration of particular global crises’. (Cottle 2009,

“How Russia Is Censoring Reporting On Sochi Olympics Controversies”. Huffington Post. January 28, 2014. Accessed October 3, 2014.http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/01/28/media-sochi-olympics-russia_n_4670600.html
Cottle, Simon. “Global Crisis Reporting: Journalism in the Global Age” (McGraw Hill 2009) 17-25, 164-171
Elliott, Stuart. “AT&T Becomes First Major Advertiser to Protest Russia’s Antigay Law”. New York Times. February 4, 2014. Accessed October 3, 2014. http://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/05/business/media/att-becomes-first-major-advertiser-to-protest-russias-antigay-law.html?_r=1
Fisher, Max. “Americans don’t want Olympics in Russia — but not because they care about human rights”. Washington Post. February 4, 2014. Accessed October 3, 2014. http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2014/02/04/americans-dont-want-olympics-in-russia-but-not-because-they-care-about-human-rights/?wpisrc=nl_wv
Giddens, Anthony . “The consequences of modernity” (Cambridge: Polity Press 1990) 64.
Gorlanova, Elena. “World Heritage in Danger”. Gazeta. July 5, 2007. Accessed October 3, 2014. http://www.gazeta.ru/sport/2007/07/a_1881085.shtml
Hafez, Kai.”The Myth of Media Globalization” (Cambridge: Polity Press 2007),