Social and cultural impact of the London 2012 Olympic Games: a lecturers' and students' perspective.

Hosting the Olympic Games is often viewed as a means of raising a nation’s sporting profile as well as a tool for economic development, social regeneration and cultural integration. The purpose of this study was to explore the perceptions of lecturers and students in higher education on the social and cultural impact of the London 2012 Olympic Games. A purposive sample of one hundred respondents (lecturers, n=30; students, n=70) was used. 73.5 per cent of respondents were male and 32.5 per cent were female (age range 18-54 years). Data was collected through a self-administered questionnaire, which included questions on social and cultural issues arising from hosting the 2012 Olympics in London. Findings showed overwhelming support of the 2012 Games and a sense of national pride emerging from London being the host city. Respondents also reported that the 2012 London Olympics would create tremendous spin-offs to strengthen the UK economy, regenerate deprived areas, build new sporting facilities, unite the country and add to London’s reputation of cultural diversity. Conversely, respondents also expressed concerns about the sustainability of employment and cultural activities and showed lack of awareness for Olympic related strategies and policies. These findings highlight the need to educate the public about existing government policies, initiatives and strategies that have been devised to address such issues