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From a body to a story. Transformative narratives in Swedish football

Herd, Katarzyna LU orcid (2018) In InterDisciplines Journal of History and Sociology 9(1). p.95-121
Abstract
The pitch. This is the core of the process, 90 minutes of a game, creating
history ad hoc, constantly, quickly, and sometimes painfully. 22 players
run and fight over the ball, for their careers, respect, and fame. Supporters
often see themselves as the most important participants in the football
experience, but one needs players. The emphasis in the media has often
been on the football superstars, described as modern heroes with a cult
surrounding them (see, e.g., Digance and Toohey 2011). At the same time,
critical voices have pointed out how football is increasingly detached
from its fans and focused on financial advantages and imported stars.
Yet football fans demonstrate different techniques of... (More)
The pitch. This is the core of the process, 90 minutes of a game, creating
history ad hoc, constantly, quickly, and sometimes painfully. 22 players
run and fight over the ball, for their careers, respect, and fame. Supporters
often see themselves as the most important participants in the football
experience, but one needs players. The emphasis in the media has often
been on the football superstars, described as modern heroes with a cult
surrounding them (see, e.g., Digance and Toohey 2011). At the same time,
critical voices have pointed out how football is increasingly detached
from its fans and focused on financial advantages and imported stars.
Yet football fans demonstrate different techniques of reclaiming the
power over football and players. The focus of this article is the appropriation
of the physicality of players. Their bodies are not only physical. If
spectators are to make a meaningful emotional connection with players,
a kind of transformation needs to happen that makes flesh and blood into
a mythical object that can be used later. Such processes are most visible
when a healthy organism undergoes a change and is not able to perform
as required. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
football, Sweden, Ethnology, Ethnography, Malmö FF, AIK, body
in
InterDisciplines Journal of History and Sociology
volume
9
issue
1
pages
95 - 121
ISSN
2191-6721
DOI
10.4119/UNIBI/indi-v9-i1-189
project
Popular Culture Research Node
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
2a982568-e3bd-4a64-b904-f9d9e6f8cb12
date added to LUP
2018-10-25 16:02:51
date last changed
2019-01-30 20:11:55
@article{2a982568-e3bd-4a64-b904-f9d9e6f8cb12,
  abstract     = {{The pitch. This is the core of the process, 90 minutes of a game, creating<br/>history ad hoc, constantly, quickly, and sometimes painfully. 22 players<br/>run and fight over the ball, for their careers, respect, and fame. Supporters<br/>often see themselves as the most important participants in the football<br/>experience, but one needs players. The emphasis in the media has often<br/>been on the football superstars, described as modern heroes with a cult<br/>surrounding them (see, e.g., Digance and Toohey 2011). At the same time,<br/>critical voices have pointed out how football is increasingly detached<br/>from its fans and focused on financial advantages and imported stars.<br/>Yet football fans demonstrate different techniques of reclaiming the<br/>power over football and players. The focus of this article is the appropriation<br/>of the physicality of players. Their bodies are not only physical. If<br/>spectators are to make a meaningful emotional connection with players,<br/>a kind of transformation needs to happen that makes flesh and blood into<br/>a mythical object that can be used later. Such processes are most visible<br/>when a healthy organism undergoes a change and is not able to perform<br/>as required.}},
  author       = {{Herd, Katarzyna}},
  issn         = {{2191-6721}},
  keywords     = {{football; Sweden; Ethnology; Ethnography; Malmö FF; AIK; body}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{10}},
  number       = {{1}},
  pages        = {{95--121}},
  series       = {{InterDisciplines Journal of History and Sociology}},
  title        = {{From a body to a story. Transformative narratives in Swedish football}},
  url          = {{https://lup.lub.lu.se/search/files/53378904/from_a_body_to_a_story.pdf}},
  doi          = {{10.4119/UNIBI/indi-v9-i1-189}},
  volume       = {{9}},
  year         = {{2018}},
}