Abstract
The Southeast Asian (SEA) Games, established in 1959, serves as a regional multi-sport event aimed at displaying athletic achievement and promoting camaraderie among participating nations. This paper explores the SEA Games as a platform for the mediation of cultures and identities, focusing on the Philippines’ experience as a host of the 30th SEA Games in 2019 and its participation over the years. Drawing on Philip D’Agati’s (2010) idea of sport mega-events as “stages” for culture and identity performance and Monroe Price’s (2008) framework that positions these events as “platforms” for communicating a variety of messages, this study examines how these concepts apply to regional events beyond the Olympics and beyond their opening and closing ceremonies. The Philippine experience offers a lens through which one may analyze how culture and identity expression is embedded consciously and unconsciously not only in ceremonial displays but throughout the entire event, including athlete representation, sport program construction, everyday interactions, and media coverage. Utilising archival research, interviews, and textual analysis of media and official communications, this paper investigates the extent to which the SEA Games has served as a stage for culture and identity mediation by the Philippines to local, regional, and international audiences. While acknowledging that the SEA Games does not carry the same global weight as larger events, this study argues that they offer a meaningful context for regional identity expression and dialogue, which may enrich our understanding of the cultural functions and dimensions of sport and sport mega-events in Southeast Asia and beyond.
Presenters
Jason Paolo TellesPhD Candidate, School of Media, Film and Journalism, Monash University, Victoria, Australia
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
Sporting Cultures and Identities
KEYWORDS
Philippines, Southeast Asian Games
