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Stand Up and Be Counted

Numerical Storylines in a Stadium Debate

University of Otago, New Zealand, mike.sam{at}otago.ac.nz

Jay Scherer

University of Alberta, Canada

The purpose of this article is to investigate how numbers come to be part of the political fabric of an ongoing debate to build a new stadium with public funds. We begin by briefly outlining the importance of numbers in the broader context of policy-making. More specifically, we situate the emphasis on numbers in governmental decision-making within the growth of `technocracy' and more contemporary demands for `evidence-based' policy. Drawing from an interpretive methodology of narrative analysis, we then turn to our case to illustrate how numbers came to be articulated and politicized, focusing on three inter-connected storylines: 1) the story of decline and merit, 2) the story of helplessness and control, and 3) the story of risk and assurance. In the last section we attempt to synthesize a brief comment concerning number narratives in stadium debates, particularly those associated with expertise and the implications for public trust.

Key Words: number narratives • stadium debates • storylines

International Review for the Sociology of Sport, Vol. 43, No. 1, 53-70 (2008)
DOI: 10.1177/1012690208094426


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