Pub Date : 2023-08-21DOI: 10.1177/10126902231195569
Jan Andre Lee Ludvigsen
This article examines a relatively recent yet under-researched role in the governance of elite European football – namely, the Supporter Liaison Officer. The Supporter Liaison Officer, as appointed by football clubs, is commonly envisioned as a mediator between fans and the clubs, authorities and security actors situated in the European football field. However, following its formal inception in the 2012/2013, little is known about how stakeholders understand the evolving and heterogeneously implemented Supporter Liaison Officer role. Drawing upon documentary and interview data, this article unpacks two key themes to develop two primary arguments. First, it argues that Supporter Liaison Officers may be understood as ‘social brokers’ that bridge together stakeholders who often possess diverging viewpoints and whose relationships are impacted by social barriers. Second, Supporter Liaison Officers are perceived as possessors of what is conceptualised here as a ‘supporter gaze’. Whilst contributing to the literature on supporter engagement and dialogue, these arguments also matter because if we understand the Supporter Liaison Officer implementation as influenced by supporter activism in Europe, then this article speaks to how outcomes of supporter pressure mature over time and their implications on football's supporter and security cultures.
{"title":"Locating the Supporter Liaison Officer in the football field: Bridges, brokers and the ‘supporter gaze’","authors":"Jan Andre Lee Ludvigsen","doi":"10.1177/10126902231195569","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/10126902231195569","url":null,"abstract":"This article examines a relatively recent yet under-researched role in the governance of elite European football – namely, the Supporter Liaison Officer. The Supporter Liaison Officer, as appointed by football clubs, is commonly envisioned as a mediator between fans and the clubs, authorities and security actors situated in the European football field. However, following its formal inception in the 2012/2013, little is known about how stakeholders understand the evolving and heterogeneously implemented Supporter Liaison Officer role. Drawing upon documentary and interview data, this article unpacks two key themes to develop two primary arguments. First, it argues that Supporter Liaison Officers may be understood as ‘social brokers’ that bridge together stakeholders who often possess diverging viewpoints and whose relationships are impacted by social barriers. Second, Supporter Liaison Officers are perceived as possessors of what is conceptualised here as a ‘supporter gaze’. Whilst contributing to the literature on supporter engagement and dialogue, these arguments also matter because if we understand the Supporter Liaison Officer implementation as influenced by supporter activism in Europe, then this article speaks to how outcomes of supporter pressure mature over time and their implications on football's supporter and security cultures.","PeriodicalId":47968,"journal":{"name":"International Review for the Sociology of Sport","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2023-08-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"43361703","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"教育学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-08-13DOI: 10.1177/10126902231194570
H. Jakubowska
This article aims to analyze the organizational anti-trans discourse on the presence of transgender athletes in women's sport. To achieve this, the petitions published from 2019 to 2022 on the websites of three US organizations (Save Women's Sports, Independent Council on Women's Sports, and the Women's Sports Policy Working Group) were analyzed. The analysis addressed the research questions of how this discourse defines trans women and trans bodies and reproduces the indispensability of sex segregation in sport competitions. The research revealed that the petitions’ authors identified trans athletes as biological males who have an advantage over cis women. The organizations demand that the protection of women's sport from trans women's participation and women's rights be based on the sex (assigned at birth) category. The article emphasizes that members and allies of these organizations perceive biomedical science as providing objective arguments for the sex dichotomy and the exclusion of trans women from sport competitions. At the same time, the petitions’ authors ignore sociocultural factors that influence the perception of gender dichotomy and athletic performance.
{"title":"Who counts as a woman? A critical discourse analysis of petitions against the participation of transgender athletes in women's sport","authors":"H. Jakubowska","doi":"10.1177/10126902231194570","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/10126902231194570","url":null,"abstract":"This article aims to analyze the organizational anti-trans discourse on the presence of transgender athletes in women's sport. To achieve this, the petitions published from 2019 to 2022 on the websites of three US organizations (Save Women's Sports, Independent Council on Women's Sports, and the Women's Sports Policy Working Group) were analyzed. The analysis addressed the research questions of how this discourse defines trans women and trans bodies and reproduces the indispensability of sex segregation in sport competitions. The research revealed that the petitions’ authors identified trans athletes as biological males who have an advantage over cis women. The organizations demand that the protection of women's sport from trans women's participation and women's rights be based on the sex (assigned at birth) category. The article emphasizes that members and allies of these organizations perceive biomedical science as providing objective arguments for the sex dichotomy and the exclusion of trans women from sport competitions. At the same time, the petitions’ authors ignore sociocultural factors that influence the perception of gender dichotomy and athletic performance.","PeriodicalId":47968,"journal":{"name":"International Review for the Sociology of Sport","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2023-08-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"45435416","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"教育学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-07-12DOI: 10.1177/10126902231187322
Paolo Riatti, A. Thiel
The role of the body is a common topic for discussions concerning competitive gaming, also known as electronic sport (esport). In esport, the focus on the body shifts from its physical presence towards digitality and therefore differs significantly compared to traditional sports. It is therefore questionable whether disciplinary mechanisms typical for sport that originate from the physical body being surveyed can be observed in competitive gaming as well. This conceptual paper uses Michel Foucault's concept of panopticism to theorize what consequences of deviant or normative behaviour can be derived from a (partially) absent physical corporeality in esport. Our approach reveals that esport and competitive gaming are lacking disciplinary mechanisms typical for traditional sports. We introduce the term dysopticon as a concept where players are not exposed to surveillance like in traditional sports, because of a perceived absence of the players’ physical bodies while competing. This can result in arbitrariness and deviant behaviour but also be an opportunity for inclusion or self-expression regardless of hegemonic corporeal norms and standards. Stakeholders, including players, clubs, associations, and corporations, can build upon these insights to develop and promote esport beneficially for sport and society.
{"title":"Using panopticism to theorize the social role of the body in competitive gaming and electronic sport","authors":"Paolo Riatti, A. Thiel","doi":"10.1177/10126902231187322","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/10126902231187322","url":null,"abstract":"The role of the body is a common topic for discussions concerning competitive gaming, also known as electronic sport (esport). In esport, the focus on the body shifts from its physical presence towards digitality and therefore differs significantly compared to traditional sports. It is therefore questionable whether disciplinary mechanisms typical for sport that originate from the physical body being surveyed can be observed in competitive gaming as well. This conceptual paper uses Michel Foucault's concept of panopticism to theorize what consequences of deviant or normative behaviour can be derived from a (partially) absent physical corporeality in esport. Our approach reveals that esport and competitive gaming are lacking disciplinary mechanisms typical for traditional sports. We introduce the term dysopticon as a concept where players are not exposed to surveillance like in traditional sports, because of a perceived absence of the players’ physical bodies while competing. This can result in arbitrariness and deviant behaviour but also be an opportunity for inclusion or self-expression regardless of hegemonic corporeal norms and standards. Stakeholders, including players, clubs, associations, and corporations, can build upon these insights to develop and promote esport beneficially for sport and society.","PeriodicalId":47968,"journal":{"name":"International Review for the Sociology of Sport","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2023-07-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"43497365","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"教育学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-06-14DOI: 10.1177/10126902231179071
Alessio Norrito, E. Michelini, R. Giulianotti, Carolynne Mason
Against the background of the recent European ‘refugee crisis’ and its long-term consequences, this article investigates the research question ‘how do footballers with a refugee background experience the process of accessing top-level football?’, using ethnographic material and interviews with competitive footballers with a refugee background in Italy and Germany from two studies. The material was examined using qualitative content analysis and interpreted through the ecological systems theory. The results show that inclusion to professional football is complex for refugee footballers who are faced with the additional hurdles and consequences of a forced migration. Moreover, refugees build their networks within the process of resettlement, without a clear path for inclusion to elite football. Those who ‘make it’ have relied on key enablers within their microsystem and on mesosystemic interactions, further emphasizing the importance of networks for professional development. In contrast, exosystemic and macrosystemic factors further hinder the possibility of a sport career in football, on top of the existing difficulties of a forced migration. The process of seeking inclusion in competitive football however has been identified as a positive element that can provide direction in resettlement and opportunities for socialisation.
{"title":"‘Refugee footballers’: A socioecological exploration of forced migrants in the Italian and German elite football system","authors":"Alessio Norrito, E. Michelini, R. Giulianotti, Carolynne Mason","doi":"10.1177/10126902231179071","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/10126902231179071","url":null,"abstract":"Against the background of the recent European ‘refugee crisis’ and its long-term consequences, this article investigates the research question ‘how do footballers with a refugee background experience the process of accessing top-level football?’, using ethnographic material and interviews with competitive footballers with a refugee background in Italy and Germany from two studies. The material was examined using qualitative content analysis and interpreted through the ecological systems theory. The results show that inclusion to professional football is complex for refugee footballers who are faced with the additional hurdles and consequences of a forced migration. Moreover, refugees build their networks within the process of resettlement, without a clear path for inclusion to elite football. Those who ‘make it’ have relied on key enablers within their microsystem and on mesosystemic interactions, further emphasizing the importance of networks for professional development. In contrast, exosystemic and macrosystemic factors further hinder the possibility of a sport career in football, on top of the existing difficulties of a forced migration. The process of seeking inclusion in competitive football however has been identified as a positive element that can provide direction in resettlement and opportunities for socialisation.","PeriodicalId":47968,"journal":{"name":"International Review for the Sociology of Sport","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2023-06-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"41494311","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"教育学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-06-12DOI: 10.1177/10126902231179624
F. Genovesi
As radical right parties capitalise on the salience of immigration among the Italian public, this paper explores solidarity grassroots football as a unique lens to investigate how people seeking asylum resist the effects of policies and discourses of exclusion, and develop senses of belonging in the microscale of their day-to-day lives. Sport and migration studies researchers have primarily considered policy-based questions (e.g. how can sport facilitate integration?). In shifting the focus from integration to belonging, this ethnographic study engages with the embodied and affective experiences of individuals seeking asylum. Employing the analytical framework for the study of belonging advanced by Yuval-Davis and integrated by Antonsich, four themes are discussed: the agency of people seeking asylum in appropriating football to nurture a positive sense of self; the emergence of the material environment of sporting activities as a space of belonging; the negotiation of belonging within and beyond the team; and the local neighbourhood as possible trait d’union between sport-specific attachments and belonging to the wider community. The article contends that involvement in solidarity grassroots football can provide people seeking asylum with opportunities for belonging that go beyond the momentary, and play a vital role in resisting the liminality imposed by autochthonic politics of belonging.
{"title":"Spaces of football and belonging for people seeking asylum: Resisting policy-imposed liminality in Italy","authors":"F. Genovesi","doi":"10.1177/10126902231179624","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/10126902231179624","url":null,"abstract":"As radical right parties capitalise on the salience of immigration among the Italian public, this paper explores solidarity grassroots football as a unique lens to investigate how people seeking asylum resist the effects of policies and discourses of exclusion, and develop senses of belonging in the microscale of their day-to-day lives. Sport and migration studies researchers have primarily considered policy-based questions (e.g. how can sport facilitate integration?). In shifting the focus from integration to belonging, this ethnographic study engages with the embodied and affective experiences of individuals seeking asylum. Employing the analytical framework for the study of belonging advanced by Yuval-Davis and integrated by Antonsich, four themes are discussed: the agency of people seeking asylum in appropriating football to nurture a positive sense of self; the emergence of the material environment of sporting activities as a space of belonging; the negotiation of belonging within and beyond the team; and the local neighbourhood as possible trait d’union between sport-specific attachments and belonging to the wider community. The article contends that involvement in solidarity grassroots football can provide people seeking asylum with opportunities for belonging that go beyond the momentary, and play a vital role in resisting the liminality imposed by autochthonic politics of belonging.","PeriodicalId":47968,"journal":{"name":"International Review for the Sociology of Sport","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2023-06-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"48417751","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"教育学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-06-04DOI: 10.1177/10126902231180402
Natalia Organista, R. Kossakowski
The aim of this article is to discuss how Polish non-heterosexual female football players cope with institutionalised normative heterosexuality, which functions in Poland on several levels. The study is based on 25 in-depth interviews with professional Polish female football players. The interviewed women experienced heteronormativity within Polish society, which precluded negotiating the status of homosexuality in the broader social context. The processes of de-normalisation of heteronormativity are also difficult in the field of football. Although many football coaches and club managers display ‘pragmatic acceptance’ of non-heterosexual female players, this attitude is not always accompanied by respect for different sexual orientations. The ways in which female football players deal with such circumstances resulted in creating a safe space of ‘enclaved non-heteronormativity’ within the team. It is a space which protects from socially dominant compulsory heterosexuality. We discuss the role of this enclave and its potential for social change in football cultures in Poland.
{"title":"Enclaved non-heteronormativity and pragmatic acceptance. The experiences of Polish female football players","authors":"Natalia Organista, R. Kossakowski","doi":"10.1177/10126902231180402","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/10126902231180402","url":null,"abstract":"The aim of this article is to discuss how Polish non-heterosexual female football players cope with institutionalised normative heterosexuality, which functions in Poland on several levels. The study is based on 25 in-depth interviews with professional Polish female football players. The interviewed women experienced heteronormativity within Polish society, which precluded negotiating the status of homosexuality in the broader social context. The processes of de-normalisation of heteronormativity are also difficult in the field of football. Although many football coaches and club managers display ‘pragmatic acceptance’ of non-heterosexual female players, this attitude is not always accompanied by respect for different sexual orientations. The ways in which female football players deal with such circumstances resulted in creating a safe space of ‘enclaved non-heteronormativity’ within the team. It is a space which protects from socially dominant compulsory heterosexuality. We discuss the role of this enclave and its potential for social change in football cultures in Poland.","PeriodicalId":47968,"journal":{"name":"International Review for the Sociology of Sport","volume":"1 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2023-06-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"65504251","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"教育学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-06-04DOI: 10.1177/10126902231179067
Ian Jones, Andrew Adams, Joanne Mayoh
Over recent years there has been a significant increase in foreign ownership within the English Premier League, with ‘sportswashing’ being identified as a key motive for some new club owners. Whilst the effects of changes of ownership have received considerable focus, especially in terms of their impacts upon the club, less attention has been paid to the status of the owners themselves, how any perceived sportswashing strategy impacts upon fans, and how that impact is managed, especially in terms of the strategies that are used by fans to maintain a sense of identification. This paper focuses on the takeover of one Premier League football club, Newcastle United, and explores fan responses to its high-profile and controversial takeover by the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund (PIF). The paper explores the identity-maintenance strategies used by fans to maintain a positive association with the club using existing frameworks related to social creativity and social competition, as well as through the application of a novel strategy that has yet to be explored within the sport fan literature, that of motivated ignorance. The results demonstrate that whilst social creativity and social competition strategies are evident, motivated ignorance also provides an additional mechanism through which social identities may be protected from identity threat.
{"title":"Fan responses to ownership change in the English Premier League: Motivated ignorance, social creativity and social competition at Newcastle United F.C.","authors":"Ian Jones, Andrew Adams, Joanne Mayoh","doi":"10.1177/10126902231179067","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/10126902231179067","url":null,"abstract":"Over recent years there has been a significant increase in foreign ownership within the English Premier League, with ‘sportswashing’ being identified as a key motive for some new club owners. Whilst the effects of changes of ownership have received considerable focus, especially in terms of their impacts upon the club, less attention has been paid to the status of the owners themselves, how any perceived sportswashing strategy impacts upon fans, and how that impact is managed, especially in terms of the strategies that are used by fans to maintain a sense of identification. This paper focuses on the takeover of one Premier League football club, Newcastle United, and explores fan responses to its high-profile and controversial takeover by the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund (PIF). The paper explores the identity-maintenance strategies used by fans to maintain a positive association with the club using existing frameworks related to social creativity and social competition, as well as through the application of a novel strategy that has yet to be explored within the sport fan literature, that of motivated ignorance. The results demonstrate that whilst social creativity and social competition strategies are evident, motivated ignorance also provides an additional mechanism through which social identities may be protected from identity threat.","PeriodicalId":47968,"journal":{"name":"International Review for the Sociology of Sport","volume":"10 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-06-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"134928630","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"教育学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-05-30DOI: 10.1177/10126902231178613
J. Hardwicke, C. J. Roberts, E. Anderson, Rory Magrath
Using data from an online survey of 211 heterosexual and 148 sexual and gender minority-identifying cyclists, this article examines the attitudes of both sexual and gender majorities towards sexual and gender minorities as well as the experiences of sexual and gender minorities in relation to each other, within the sport of cycling. The results show a culture of acceptance for LGB athletes with heightened antipathy towards transgender cyclists. However, this variance is not as large as might be expected given the media attention on transgender athletes in cycling, and sport more broadly. It therefore appears that the transgender social movement is drafting closely behind LGB inclusion within this sport.
{"title":"Drafting behind LGB: Transgender athletes in the sport of cycling","authors":"J. Hardwicke, C. J. Roberts, E. Anderson, Rory Magrath","doi":"10.1177/10126902231178613","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/10126902231178613","url":null,"abstract":"Using data from an online survey of 211 heterosexual and 148 sexual and gender minority-identifying cyclists, this article examines the attitudes of both sexual and gender majorities towards sexual and gender minorities as well as the experiences of sexual and gender minorities in relation to each other, within the sport of cycling. The results show a culture of acceptance for LGB athletes with heightened antipathy towards transgender cyclists. However, this variance is not as large as might be expected given the media attention on transgender athletes in cycling, and sport more broadly. It therefore appears that the transgender social movement is drafting closely behind LGB inclusion within this sport.","PeriodicalId":47968,"journal":{"name":"International Review for the Sociology of Sport","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2023-05-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"47896947","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"教育学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-05-29DOI: 10.1177/10126902231178610
Huan Xiong, Xinyi Guo
This case study delves into the experiences of a women's basketball team situated in Shenzhen, South China, comprised primarily of members of sexual minority groups. Utilizing qualitative research methods, including interviews and observation of team dynamics, this research examines how lesbian and bisexual female basketball players navigate societal norms and negotiate their sexual identities. It also highlights the team's unique strategies for dealing with social interactions, group membership, and power dynamics in resisting heteronormative norms. Team B exemplifies a form of queer resistance in Chinese society and sports that is distinct from the Western pride movements and political advocacy. This strategy involves avoiding confrontation and integrating the nonheteronormative subculture into mainstream sports and society to gain support from families, the general public, and local communities, thereby promoting sports inclusivity and gaining social recognition. This study argues, from a post-structural feminist perspective, that participation in a gender-inclusive sports group provides sexual minority individuals with a unique social position and an empowering means of destabilizing power relations and reducing sexual identity tensions. In addition, it demonstrates the capacity of sports subcultures to foster collective agency and resilience in the face of dominant cultural norms, despite the constraints posed by the unaltered macro-level structure of gender. This case study provides valuable insights into how gender-inclusive sports groups can challenge and reshape preconceived notions of gender and sexuality in Chinese society while serving as a platform for queer resistance.
{"title":"Identity negotiation and subculture recognition: Exploration of a sexual minority group in a Chinese grassroots sport","authors":"Huan Xiong, Xinyi Guo","doi":"10.1177/10126902231178610","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/10126902231178610","url":null,"abstract":"This case study delves into the experiences of a women's basketball team situated in Shenzhen, South China, comprised primarily of members of sexual minority groups. Utilizing qualitative research methods, including interviews and observation of team dynamics, this research examines how lesbian and bisexual female basketball players navigate societal norms and negotiate their sexual identities. It also highlights the team's unique strategies for dealing with social interactions, group membership, and power dynamics in resisting heteronormative norms. Team B exemplifies a form of queer resistance in Chinese society and sports that is distinct from the Western pride movements and political advocacy. This strategy involves avoiding confrontation and integrating the nonheteronormative subculture into mainstream sports and society to gain support from families, the general public, and local communities, thereby promoting sports inclusivity and gaining social recognition. This study argues, from a post-structural feminist perspective, that participation in a gender-inclusive sports group provides sexual minority individuals with a unique social position and an empowering means of destabilizing power relations and reducing sexual identity tensions. In addition, it demonstrates the capacity of sports subcultures to foster collective agency and resilience in the face of dominant cultural norms, despite the constraints posed by the unaltered macro-level structure of gender. This case study provides valuable insights into how gender-inclusive sports groups can challenge and reshape preconceived notions of gender and sexuality in Chinese society while serving as a platform for queer resistance.","PeriodicalId":47968,"journal":{"name":"International Review for the Sociology of Sport","volume":"50 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2023-05-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"65504138","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"教育学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-05-25DOI: 10.1177/10126902231172919
Marit Hiemstra, Jasmijn Rana
People with visual impairments partake in recreational running with sighted guide runners. In the Netherlands, the Running Blind foundation enables blind and visually impaired runners and their guides to experience the social and physical benefits of outdoor recreation together. While sport policies and programs in the Netherlands call for more inclusive sport practices, it is often unclear what ‘inclusion’ means for the people involved. This article explores how a sense of inclusion is constituted, experienced and reflected on within guided running. Based on three months of immersive, sensory ethnographic fieldwork in guided running, we argue that merely integrating disabled sports practitioners into mainstream, that is, ableist sporting contexts does not increase inclusion for people with different abilities. Instead, guided running ensembles challenge ‘the language of inclusion’ by showing how a sense of inclusion evolves from an empathic engagement with the environment, the people and the tethered running bodies.
{"title":"Sensing inclusion among visually impaired and guide runners","authors":"Marit Hiemstra, Jasmijn Rana","doi":"10.1177/10126902231172919","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/10126902231172919","url":null,"abstract":"People with visual impairments partake in recreational running with sighted guide runners. In the Netherlands, the Running Blind foundation enables blind and visually impaired runners and their guides to experience the social and physical benefits of outdoor recreation together. While sport policies and programs in the Netherlands call for more inclusive sport practices, it is often unclear what ‘inclusion’ means for the people involved. This article explores how a sense of inclusion is constituted, experienced and reflected on within guided running. Based on three months of immersive, sensory ethnographic fieldwork in guided running, we argue that merely integrating disabled sports practitioners into mainstream, that is, ableist sporting contexts does not increase inclusion for people with different abilities. Instead, guided running ensembles challenge ‘the language of inclusion’ by showing how a sense of inclusion evolves from an empathic engagement with the environment, the people and the tethered running bodies.","PeriodicalId":47968,"journal":{"name":"International Review for the Sociology of Sport","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2023-05-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"42434815","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"教育学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
京公网安备 11010802042870号
京ICP备2023020795号-1
扫码关注我们
求助内容：
应助结果提醒方式：