103 Research Essay: “Displacement between Powers”
Tristan Ball
Instructor Alexis Kopp
English 1023
15 December 2021
Displacement between Powers: A Research Paper on Imperialism in the Olympics
Every two years, people around the world get excited about the Olympics, a worldwide sporting event that brings together many nations and athletes. Beyond the display, the Olympics reveal a hidden layer of imperialism still defining global power and communication structures. No one sees the preparation that takes place before the Olympics in residential areas that causes mass displacement. No one sees the thought that goes into every display element to fit with a country’s preferred image. No one sees the fight for power among nations for which the Olympics becomes a platform. People only see what is displayed and broadcasted. However, the Olympic games are a cultural phenomenon used to disguise and further imperialist efforts.
When the Olympics moves into a city, it ushers in with it a rapid period of displacement for many inhabitants in their home spaces and dwellings. In fact, gentrification and soaring real-estate prices linked to the Games have displaced more than 2 million people in a timeframe of 20 years (Johal). Such gentrification happens in areas that disproportionately affect people with lower incomes. The Olympics targets these areas specifically because it is the easiest place to afford and receive access to despite the fact that access to stable and affordable housing is more significantly needed by lower-income inhabitants because they have limited places where they can reside. Housing spaces that are not converted to fit the image of the Games can also rise exponentially in value. The rise in value is due to the lack of access to housing in other places in the area as well as the increased focus on the area. The Olympics brings with it an environment that is bad for the original inhabitants of the area hosting the event. Moreover, The International Olympic Committee (IOC) does not have an outstanding record when dealing with related violations. The Olympics prefers a magnificent sporting event over the loss of human rights that come at the expense of creating such an event. The IOC often avoids scrutiny as the blame usually falls on the host countries and cities to protect its inhabitants. However, the Olympics are often corrupted from the very beginning of their selection process. For example, the Olympics were accused of corruption in the 1996 Games for choosing Atlanta only after Coca-Cola, one of their largest sponsors, intervened (Shingal).
Oftentimes these lapses in judgment can lead to serious consequences for the host cities. Choosing an unprepared city inevitably leads to the mass displacement of people in those areas. Additionally, the event can create an environment in which workers in those areas are not compensated fairly or paid at all, causing delays in paychecks, denial of payment, or even lowered salaries. The worst of thes