The first of the Centre's Research seminars this term will be on Weds the 17th of February where we will be welcoming Vikki McCall from the University of Stirling to discuss her work on the legacy of the Commonwealth Games. An abstract and bio is below

The seminar will be from 5pm-6.30pm in G50 of Millburn House.

We hope to see you there. We'll be providing light refreshments so please e-mail Paula Watkins on p.watkins@warwick.ac.uk to reserve a place.

A meaningful legacy for all? Exploring the role of the large scale sporting and cultural events in the process regeneration and urban stigmatisation"

Vikki McCall, University of Stirling, Scotland

Presenting the findings from a project conducted with:

Gerry Mooney, The Open University, Scotland

Kirsteen Paton, University of Leeds, England

Abstract

The 2014 Commonwealth Games sets out 'Glasgow's ambition... for a meaningful legacy that will go beyond 2014 and will benefit everyone' and 'transform the East End of Glasgow'. The East End of Glasgow has been subject to a raft of negative discourses and regeneration efforts. The talk will explore how regeneration of areas can coincide with discourses that devalue the people living there. People and the places they occupy are increasingly submitted to the logic of capital and rationalising discourses. Recipients of regeneration are expected to publically perform value - acting as neoliberal citizens that can further compound stigma. Drawing from diary entries of East End residents we explore the complex experiences and impacts of this event on those living in the East End between May-September 2014. Experiences around urban myths surrounding the Games and barriers to political engagement will be presented to show how residents could and could not engage with the Games. This gives insight to how key sporting events such as the Commonwealth Games can promote and compound urban stigmatisation even as it aims to “transform” and establish a long lasting legacy. This has clear implications for future regeneration projects in both policy and practice.

Vikki is a Lecturer in Social Policy and Housing at the University of Stirling. Vikki's work has included extensive research on the role of front-line workers, users and volunteers and the policy process. This has included exploring front-line worker discretion, interpretations, activities and actions. Part of this work has been around bridging the gap between policy and practice. This has also included UK comparative analysis between Scotland, England and Wales.

Vikki has a broad portfolio of social science teaching and research with the University of Stirling. Expertise includes housing, volunteers, devolution, poverty, inequality, gender, social problems, urban society, museums and the cultural sector. Vikki has experience in lecturing on and conducting social research, comparative social research, qualitative and quantitative methods.