With this master's thesis, I wanted to investigate the impact of mega events, such as the Olympic
Games, on the local identity. How various economic, physical, psychological, social and other
factors that happened during the Olympic Games in Barcelona in 1992 influenced the creation of
the local identity of the residents of Barcelona. With the help of in-depth interviews that I
conducted personally in the neighbourhood of El Poble-sec in Barcelona, I answered the above mentioned questions. With the help of the thematic analysis, I found that the Olympic Games had
a great influence on the change of the city from an industrial city to a very touristic city known all
over the world. This change has left a huge impact from a physical, social, sensory and memory
aspect. Although we cannot say with a great certainty, the Olympics are one of the main reasons
for this transformation. The popularity of Barcelona has also been reflected in the immigration of
people from different countries to the city, which has caused the changes of the roles in the
neighborhood. So the identity of Barcelona, after the Olympics, has changed from an industrial
city to a very multicultural city where you can meet people from all over the world enjoying life,
beautiful beaches and beautiful weather.
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