Adam’s research looks at social movement organising at the Rio de Janeiro 2016 Olympic Games, taking an ethnographic approach. By spending a year living in Brazil in the year leading up to the Games, Adam learned a great deal about the issues in the Olympic city, some of which have been exacerbated by the mega-event, others have been directly caused by the five-ring party.
His thesis focuses on one issue of contention, the fight against the eviction of a favela located directly adjacent to the main Olympic Park. Various different groups formed an informal coalition to resist evictions in the Vila Autódromo favela, all with differing types of members, methods and goals. Adam’s thesis examines how these groups worked together to successfully resist eviction, despite facing the full force of the Olympic juggernaut.
Adam’s wider research interests are the sociology of sport, social movements, urban politics, and qualitative research. During his fieldwork he published a range of essays and commentaries for RioOnWatch, The Conversation, America’s Quarterly and Roar Magazine, among others as well as being interviewed by numerous journalists, including the BBC, NBC, and CBC.