The Problems with Westphalian Nation-State System

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We all associate ourselves with various identities such as Indians, Chinese, Pakistani, Americans, Canadians, French, British and much more. Why do you think we all associate with all these more? Are there any other identities which people associate with?  The identities which I mentioned before are relatively new compared to other identities such as religion, language, caste, and various other identities. It is not to say that people never had such feelings towards nations or the state. But the idea of loyalty and love for the motherland was very important which offset various other identities. The question we are arriving at is what is the motherland, who made and how it formed.  What we refer to today as a Nation or Country refers to what we know in political science as a Nation-State. Today almost all the countries we know are categorised Nation-States and some even as State-Nations. International Relations and Political Science suggest that states are the most important a...
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Sports and Politics- Convergences and Divergences- A Podcast

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Greetings to all listeners and readers!!

Sports has always been an exciting topic for everyone to talk about. It doesn't merely represent entertainment; rather, it has transcended beyond external influences and power politics. Countries, governments, corporations, etc., aim to use it primarily as a lucrative avenue and a means to project power. Furthermore, while sports has historically had a Eurocentric origin, it has evolved into more than just a pastime for many, including countries in the Global South. Beyond being a source of entertainment and a lifestyle choice, sports has emerged as a significant career option. Undoubtedly, it has the transformative power to shape and change people's lives. Through, this podcast episode will dive through all these topics directly from the expert on all these topics. 

About The Guest 

Alan Bince is a Neuroscience PhD candidate working at Maastricht University, Netherlands. Growing up in the UAE, his passion for sports started at a very young age watching the Indian Cricket Team and Manchester United. During his time as an engineering student, he worked part-time for various independent news outlets covering spectator sports. Through this journey, he made significant contributions to a sports aggregator page on X named United Journal. His drive to learn more about the history and political movements involved in the evolution of sports helped him to visit important sporting institutions in England as he was completing his Master's degree at UCL. You can follow him on X and Instagram. 

Read the Newscapsule of the Month 

Summary of the podcast 

Generally, these topics aren’t much available in the mainstream media, because they are believed hard to crack and don't address the basics. But, through our podcast, we disprove this misconception that these cannot be understood by common people. We explain in simple terms various subtopics under this vast topic in the form of conversational and discussion styles. Everything is easy to follow and understandable in the episode. 

For talking about sports and politics, we need to dissect the topics into multiple strands and discuss them separately. hence, overall this podcast episode is an issue-based discussion on several contemporary issues. Moderator Jairam introduced the topic of the day followed by the Guest Alan Bince who did his self-introduction and how he started to have his interest in sports. The main topical discussion started with the premise- whether sports and politics have a correlation or not. The next of the list discussed was the Eurocentric nature of sports where the role of Western countries in the origin and propagation of sports across the world. The main takeaway here also was the role of colonial powers in popularising sports as we know it today. 

The discussion went on to the politics in FIFA, and UEFA and how clubs were in the hands of oligarchs. In continuation, the panellist talked elaborately Russia-Ukraine war and its impact on European Football, the Russian Olympic team and beyond. In World Cups and Premier leagues, controversies regarding Qatar 2022, the Saudi PL etc. were talked about. Lastly, the podcast ended with a discussion on the future of EU and European politics. Followed by which, Cricket primarily Indian Cricket, IPL, BCCI etc. was the centre of conversation. Lastly, the discussion ended with the burning issue of protests by Indian Wrestlers. The guest talked about important sources that would be helpful for the audience's reference. This is just a tiny glimpse please listen to get the full picture and how the discussion went. 

We cover in detail the following topics-

1. Introduction to the topic and panellist By Jairam (Give a brief intro of yours to the listeners)
2. Connections between Sports and Politics 
3. Eurocentric Nature of sports 
4. Football- Qatar WC, Saudi PL, Russia-Ukraine War
5. Cricket- BCCI, IPL, Tickets, WC, Media partners, Sponsorship etc. 
6. Major sports scandals across the world 
7. Materials, references, and resources for audience 
8. Closing remarks and conclusion
9. Give your personalized feedback on my podcast. 

Where can you find the podcast?

If you are a regular consumer of a podcast you will be very well aware of the various platforms used to hear them. Some platforms allow you to listen without logging in while others require compulsory logging in. 

As you know the most popular app is Spotify. Here is the Spotify frame. 

Also, feel free to listen to previous episodes and follow us there as well.

If you have any preference on where to listen to the podcast, then choose any platform from those given below and listen at your convenience. 

Resources 

Want to get more Knowledge? Install the Kuku FM app, and get assured discounts with a ton of knowledge. Download it through the link here. 

Choose to opt for resources to enhance the knowledge on the topic- Book1|Book2|Book3

Your Feedback 


This summary is just a small glimpse of the podcast, do listen to the full podcast from your favourite platform, at your convenient speed and space. Also, feel free to listen to previous episodes and follow us there as well.

DM on our FB, Insta page or comment down for collaborations. 

Do follow us on all social media and podcast streaming platforms. Do check out our articles on Medium.


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