Civilized Death: The Issue of Stray Animals and Sports Mega- Events in Russia

Abstract

The article examines how the strategy of constructing the social problem of animal cruelty in Russia has become successful in the context of preparing and holding sports mega- events. The constructionist theory of social problems by M. Spector, J. Kitsius, and J. Best is developed on the basis of N. Elias’s civilization theory, as well as on the studies of mega- events in non-western countries. The analytical scheme of hierarchically interconnected levels of industries of social problems initiating, in interaction, the very actualization of various social conditions on the threshold of mega- events is offered: these are regional, national, and international. Two cities were chosen, Kazan and Sochi, for the empirical fields of research. The research sample included materials from the media of regional and federal publications. The articles on the topic of stray animals in Sochi and Kazan in the eve of the sports mega- events were also searched on the websites of major international news agencies and newspapers. The method of discourse analysis was applied to the rhetoric of the main actors, to identify the main techniques of typification and the main discourses that are formed around the issue of the homeless animals’ treatment. Longitudinal media analysis allowed us to see how the rhetoric of actors of the national industry of social problems changes under the pressure of the international industry of social problems. We consider discursive constructions that are actively promoted at the regional level, but are modified or disappear at the federal and international levels.