ABSTRACT
This is the first book to examine football (soccer) through the lens of diaspora studies. Presenting case studies from across four continents, it considers how diasporic minorities develop a sense of belonging between their national and transnational ethnic communities through an active participation in football.
Bringing together a cross-disciplinary group of scholars working in anthropology, communication, cultural studies, history, psychology, politics, sociology and sport, it unearths the connections between culture, identities, politics, nationalism, globalization, and how those manifest in the lived experience of diasporic peoples. Against a background of the continued internationalization of sport and pervasive global migration, it explores key themes in the social sciences including migration, acculturation, and assimilation; sport, identity, fandom, and representation; and nationhood, citizenship, and politics. As the book focuses on diverse ethnoreligious groups dispersed around the world, it covers a wide range of geographic locations, with cases addressing the Bolivian, Ethiopian, Moroccan, Zimbabwean, Croatian, Irish, and Basque diasporas.
It is fascinating reading for anybody working in sport studies, diaspora studies, political science, sociology, cultural studies, international history or social history.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
part 26I|66 pages
Community and Representation
chapter Chapter 2|23 pages
Soccer Boundaries and Social Capital
chapter Chapter 4|20 pages
The Bolivian Diaspora in the Rise and Fall of the First Supporters Group in Major League Soccer
part 92II|62 pages
Transnational Connections
chapter Chapter 5|22 pages
Football Fandom and the Basque Diaspora in the United States
chapter Chapter 6|21 pages
Morocco's Atlas Lions and Diaspora Support in the 2022 FIFA World Cup
chapter Chapter 7|17 pages
Reimagining National Pride and Patriotism
part 154III|35 pages
Diasporic Claims