Modernization and Cultural Change in China: Links to the 2008 Summer Olympics

In 2001, the International Olympic Committee awarded Beijing, China to be host of the 2008 Summer games. Though interesting for multiple reasons, the decision to pick Beijing is intriguing partially because it will be just the third city in the modern era of the Olympics to be located in a Third World country. It has long been argued that hosting the Olympics can lead to significant social and economic changes, especially in non-Western locations. This paper, however, examines a different set of changes linked to the upcoming Olympics in China--the cultural dynamics. The main argument is that the rapid modernization process in China that has occurred during the past three decades has led to both the decision to hold the 2008 Summer games in Beijing as well as efforts to alter certain cultural practices in the country. The decision to award the Olympics to Beijing has served as an intervening variable, as it is accelerating attempts to change various aspects of Chinese culture that are generally unacceptable by Western standards