- Loughborough, Leicestershire, United Kingdom
Mahfoud Amara
Loughborough University, SSEHS, Faculty Member
- Interest in sport management, policy and sociology.edit
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
The aim of this article is to outline the manner in which the Pan-Arab Games reflect the tensions within the pan-Arab project of political and cultural unity. Within the movement there has been a traditional cleavage between those... more
The aim of this article is to outline the manner in which the Pan-Arab Games reflect the tensions within the pan-Arab project of political and cultural unity. Within the movement there has been a traditional cleavage between those advocating the political unification between Arab states and those promoting inter-Arab-nation-state cooperation. The Pan-Arab Games were established by the League of Arab Nations in 1953 as means of expressing cultural unity between Arab peoples across nation-state boundaries. As an institution it is founded therefore on a philosophy of ethno-cultural group identity (based on race and language), rather than on territorial divisions (such as continental games) or philosophies of multi-culturalism and universalism (as is the case for the Olympic Games). The history of the Pan-Arab games has been fraught with difficulties, largely (though not exclusive-ly) founded in the conflict between Israel and the Arab states, as well as the more recent wars in the Gulf...
Research Interests:
This article provides a four-fold typology of comparative sports policy studies: Type 1, Seeking Similarities, is a nomothetic approach seeking law-like generalization; Type 2 is Describing Difference, an ideographic approach seeking to... more
This article provides a four-fold typology of comparative sports policy studies: Type 1, Seeking Similarities, is a nomothetic approach seeking law-like generalization; Type 2 is Describing Difference, an ideographic approach seeking to capture the specificity of policy systems; Type 3, Theorizing the Transnational, goes beyond the nation-state as the unit of analysis to fuse global and local levels of explanation; and Type 4, Defining Discourse, seeks to analyze ways in which policy discourse defines the reality of the policy problems it seeks to address. The authors underline the ontological and epistemological assumptions of such approaches that are often only implicit, and they employ selected examples to illustrate the contribution to knowledge of the different approaches.
Research Interests:
This chapter focuses on offering an overview of the recent development of free-to-air (FTA) and encrypted TV sport channels in the Arab region. Huge sums of money are invested in the broadcasting of premium sports events and other... more
This chapter focuses on offering an overview of the recent development of free-to-air (FTA) and encrypted TV sport channels in the Arab region. Huge sums of money are invested in the broadcasting of premium sports events and other sport-related programs; in the process, the monopoly over sport broadcasting is shifting from the state-controlled sector, which is informed by political-ideological considerations, to private television networks, which are based on the liberal market values of profit maximization. ART Sports’ former ownership of the exclusive rights to broadcast the Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) 2006 World Cup for the Middle East and North Africa, which was much debated and contested, and the quasi-monopoly of Aljazeera Sport over the broadcasting of the 2010 World Cup are illustrative examples of this shift. The chapter reveals, however, that behind the debate around the privatization of the sports broadcasting industry in the Arab world there is an apparent rivalry between state-run and private TV stations for the control of Arab minds and hearts — a rivalry that accompanies the crisis in politics and in the big narratives of pan-Arab ideology. The advance of the sports broadcasting industry in the Arab world has challenged the notion of a state’s territory and sovereignty, as well as the older principle of free access, for Arab viewers, to international (and even to domestic) sport competitions.
Research Interests:
Qatar and the UAE in particular are emerging as a new destination for sport labor migration, including from the Maghreb and the Maghrebi community in Europe, which is the focus of this chapter. Specifically, the study examines the... more
Qatar and the UAE in particular are emerging as a new destination for sport labor migration, including from the Maghreb and the Maghrebi community in Europe, which is the focus of this chapter. Specifically, the study examines the patterns and motives of sport labor migration in three sectors: professional football, elite sport development, and sport TV broadcasting. Migration flows in sport can be understood as a legacy of colonial history, or a dependency of former colonies upon former colonizers in social, cultural, economic, and sport domains. Sport migration is also a product of globalization characterized by increased interconnectedness between territories due to advancements in the means of transportation and communication. While it is becoming more difficult to migrate to Europe and North America, sport migrants from the Maghreb, like other Arab communities, are attracted to the GCC because it offers both material facilities and the familiarity of Arab and Islamic cultures.
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
This chapter explores the relationship between leisure and Islam, including the place of leisure within the Islamic tradition, religiosity among Muslims in Diaspora and on how religiosity influences Muslims participation in leisure... more
This chapter explores the relationship between leisure and Islam, including the place of leisure within the Islamic tradition, religiosity among Muslims in Diaspora and on how religiosity influences Muslims participation in leisure activities. UK and Norway are selected as case studies to examine how policy makers and local authorities respond to/and accommodate the demand of Muslim communities to organize leisure activities and access to leisure facilities. The chapter ends by addressing the new development of “halal tourism” and “halal leisure”. It is argued that “halal leisure” can be seen as a sign of the development of new hybrid identities where Muslims seek to combine their religious identity with modern western leisure habits.
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Representation and structural discrimination in football in Europe: the case of minorities and women (summary report)
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Hospital diet is an essential part of modern therapy in all medical departments. It comprises both the so-called normal diets which are prepared according to modern nutrition knowledge, dietetic foods and the various forms of artificial... more
Hospital diet is an essential part of modern therapy in all medical departments. It comprises both the so-called normal diets which are prepared according to modern nutrition knowledge, dietetic foods and the various forms of artificial nutrition. The dietary department provides food and nutrition services that consistently promote adequate nutritional intake, improve health and enhance the quality of life. This study was cross-sectional from January 2016 to December 2016. The nonprobability purposive sampling method was used for data collection. Total 164 samples were collected purposively within the data collection period. There were 150 hospital patients and 14 dietary staff who collected the data secondary level hospitals by using semi-structured questionnaire. The data was analyzed by using SPSS. Among 150 patients 92% of the patients ate hospital diet and only 8% of the patients did not eat hospital diet. Among them 6.7 % of the patients said that the hospital supply foods wer...
As Islam’s visibility in global society increases, Muslim populations grow, and Muslim countries compete to take up positions at the heart of global sport, the interplay between sport and Islam becomes ever more illuminating. Sport in... more
As Islam’s visibility in global society increases, Muslim populations grow, and Muslim countries compete to take up positions at the heart of global sport, the interplay between sport and Islam becomes ever more illuminating. Sport in Islam and in Muslim Communities is the first book to analyse this relationship through a pluralist lens, exploring the questions it raises about contemporary Islam, globalisation, and the challenges faced by (in particular young) Muslims in negotiating their place in global society. With contributions from Muslim and non-Muslim authors, the book approaches an array of contemporary issues, from the role of sport in gender, youth and political identities in Islam and Muslim societies to sport policy in Muslim countries, sport’s role among Muslim minorities and sport marketing’s relationship to Muslim cultures. Drawing on sociology, anthropology, political science, Islamic studies and sport studies, Sport in Islam and in Muslim Communities not only examines the significance of sport in Islam, but helps to draw wider conclusions on religious identity in sporting settings and the interplay between sport, gender, political ideology and consumer culture.
Research Interests:
This chapter first examines sport in relation to nation-state formation and ideologies of development in the Arab world. The Pan-Arab Games and Pan-Islamic Games are illustrative examples of the Arab world’s engagement with Islamic values... more
This chapter first examines sport in relation to nation-state formation and ideologies of development in the Arab world. The Pan-Arab Games and Pan-Islamic Games are illustrative examples of the Arab world’s engagement with Islamic values and secular ideologies, including modern sport. The next section explores the increasing adoption by Arab countries of the strategy of development through sport in bidding for, and staging, mega-sport events as a scheme for urban regeneration, for strengthening internal and external political legitimacy and for integrating the commercial values of sport.
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Representation and structural discrimination in football in Europe: the case of minorities and women (summary report)
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Hospital diet is an essential part of modern therapy in all medical departments. It comprises both the so-called normal diets which are prepared according to modern nutrition knowledge, dietetic foods and the various forms of artificial... more
Hospital diet is an essential part of modern therapy in all medical departments. It comprises both the so-called normal diets which are prepared according to modern nutrition knowledge, dietetic foods and the various forms of artificial nutrition. The dietary department provides food and nutrition services that consistently promote adequate nutritional intake, improve health and enhance the quality of life. This study was cross-sectional from January 2016 to December 2016. The nonprobability purposive sampling method was used for data collection. Total 164 samples were collected purposively within the data collection period. There were 150 hospital patients and 14 dietary staff who collected the data secondary level hospitals by using semi-structured questionnaire. The data was analyzed by using SPSS. Among 150 patients 92% of the patients ate hospital diet and only 8% of the patients did not eat hospital diet. Among them 6.7 % of the patients said that the hospital supply foods wer...
As Islam’s visibility in global society increases, Muslim populations grow, and Muslim countries compete to take up positions at the heart of global sport, the interplay between sport and Islam becomes ever more illuminating. Sport in... more
As Islam’s visibility in global society increases, Muslim populations grow, and Muslim countries compete to take up positions at the heart of global sport, the interplay between sport and Islam becomes ever more illuminating. Sport in Islam and in Muslim Communities is the first book to analyse this relationship through a pluralist lens, exploring the questions it raises about contemporary Islam, globalisation, and the challenges faced by (in particular young) Muslims in negotiating their place in global society. With contributions from Muslim and non-Muslim authors, the book approaches an array of contemporary issues, from the role of sport in gender, youth and political identities in Islam and Muslim societies to sport policy in Muslim countries, sport’s role among Muslim minorities and sport marketing’s relationship to Muslim cultures. Drawing on sociology, anthropology, political science, Islamic studies and sport studies, Sport in Islam and in Muslim Communities not only examines the significance of sport in Islam, but helps to draw wider conclusions on religious identity in sporting settings and the interplay between sport, gender, political ideology and consumer culture.
Research Interests:
This chapter first examines sport in relation to nation-state formation and ideologies of development in the Arab world. The Pan-Arab Games and Pan-Islamic Games are illustrative examples of the Arab world’s engagement with Islamic values... more
This chapter first examines sport in relation to nation-state formation and ideologies of development in the Arab world. The Pan-Arab Games and Pan-Islamic Games are illustrative examples of the Arab world’s engagement with Islamic values and secular ideologies, including modern sport. The next section explores the increasing adoption by Arab countries of the strategy of development through sport in bidding for, and staging, mega-sport events as a scheme for urban regeneration, for strengthening internal and external political legitimacy and for integrating the commercial values of sport.
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Whereas nationally the economic recession imposes a financial burden on European professional football clubs (e.g. restrictions on bank loans, a tougher legislations on public funding, interruption of development project such as the... more
Whereas nationally the economic recession imposes a financial burden on European professional football clubs (e.g. restrictions on bank loans, a tougher legislations on public funding, interruption of development project such as the building of new stadia with a bigger capacity), internationally, it could be an opportunity for these clubs to diversify their source of revenues, including foreign investments and expansion to foreign markets.
Research Interests:
ABSTRACT A Doctoral Thesis. Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the award of Doctor of Philosophy of Loughborough University.
Research Interests:
As Islam’s visibility in global society increases, Muslim populations grow, and Muslim countries compete to take up positions at the heart of global sport, the interplay between sport and Islam becomes ever more illuminating. Sport in... more
As Islam’s visibility in global society increases, Muslim populations grow, and Muslim countries compete to take up positions at the heart of global sport, the interplay between sport and Islam becomes ever more illuminating. Sport in Islam and in Muslim Communities is the first book to analyse this relationship through a pluralist lens, exploring the questions it raises about contemporary Islam, globalisation, and the challenges faced by (in particular young) Muslims in negotiating their place in global society. With contributions from Muslim and non-Muslim authors, the book approaches an array of contemporary issues, from the role of sport in gender, youth and political identities in Islam and Muslim societies to sport policy in Muslim countries, sport’s role among Muslim minorities and sport marketing’s relationship to Muslim cultures. Drawing on sociology, anthropology, political science, Islamic studies and sport studies, Sport in Islam and in Muslim Communities not only examin...
Research Interests:
This study of sport in the Arab world over the last ten years started in 2000, with my doctoral thesis on the modernization and professionalization of football in Algeria, which I completed at Loughborough University. The implicit... more
This study of sport in the Arab world over the last ten years started in 2000, with my doctoral thesis on the modernization and professionalization of football in Algeria, which I completed at Loughborough University. The implicit questions that have arisen through this study are: What is to be an Algerian and, more broadly, what is to be an Arab? Ironically, I came to know about Algerian writers and novelists when I settled in the United Kingdom. Then I rediscovered Algerian authors such as Kateb Yacine, Mouhamed Harbi, Benjamin Stora, Assia Djebar, Malek Bennabi, Mouhamed Arkoun, Rachid Mimouni, Rachid Boudjera and others who were either ignored or censured in Algeria, accused of being too western and secular, or too feminist, or too Islamist, or too subversive. I realized the importance of reading their work in order to reconcile with my Algerianness, destabilized as it was by the experience of brutal violence in Algeria in the 1990s, and to relocate my new pluralist vision of Algeria to North Africa, to the Arab and Muslim worlds and the Mediterranean space, and also to Britain. Reading and writing in English, the language of globalization, helped me to move away from ideological and linguistic divides in Algeria between being francophone, which is presented there as secular-liberal, and being arabophone, presented as conservative-nationalist.