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Constructing football through magic : an ethnographic study of football supporters

Herd, Katarzyna LU orcid (2016) In Soccer & Society p.1-12
Abstract
This article presents an analysis of football supporters as magicians based on the theory of magic developed by Marcel Mauss. The research was conducted in co-operation with a local football club from Sweden called Malmö FF. Taking into consideration how the supporters see their position in the club and their contribution, it is possible to explain their behaviour and involvement in terms of a collective phenomenon that requires a clearly stated objective and is achieved through technical elements. The extensive usage of props, language and symbols is supposed to influence the reality according to the wishes of the user. This article follows previous research of modern phenomena in terms of magic as presented by Thomas O’Dell (O’Dell, Spas... (More)
This article presents an analysis of football supporters as magicians based on the theory of magic developed by Marcel Mauss. The research was conducted in co-operation with a local football club from Sweden called Malmö FF. Taking into consideration how the supporters see their position in the club and their contribution, it is possible to explain their behaviour and involvement in terms of a collective phenomenon that requires a clearly stated objective and is achieved through technical elements. The extensive usage of props, language and symbols is supposed to influence the reality according to the wishes of the user. This article follows previous research of modern phenomena in terms of magic as presented by Thomas O’Dell (O’Dell, Spas and the Cultural Economy) and Peter Pels (Pels, Magic and Modernity, 183–99). Such approach can explain how the engagement and the unique relationship are still possible in a highly commercialized and commoditized world of modern football. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to specialist publication or newspaper
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Magic, football, Malmö FF, supporters, heterotopia, ethnography
categories
Popular Science
in
Soccer & Society
pages
1 - 12
publisher
Taylor & Francis
external identifiers
  • scopus:84954243397
ISSN
1743-9590
DOI
10.1080/14660970.2015.1133415
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
6841d3f9-0df2-4d5e-9d35-151a7a2cc7f4 (old id 8518244)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 09:48:45
date last changed
2022-04-19 19:51:21
@misc{6841d3f9-0df2-4d5e-9d35-151a7a2cc7f4,
  abstract     = {{This article presents an analysis of football supporters as magicians based on the theory of magic developed by Marcel Mauss. The research was conducted in co-operation with a local football club from Sweden called Malmö FF. Taking into consideration how the supporters see their position in the club and their contribution, it is possible to explain their behaviour and involvement in terms of a collective phenomenon that requires a clearly stated objective and is achieved through technical elements. The extensive usage of props, language and symbols is supposed to influence the reality according to the wishes of the user. This article follows previous research of modern phenomena in terms of magic as presented by Thomas O’Dell (O’Dell, Spas and the Cultural Economy) and Peter Pels (Pels, Magic and Modernity, 183–99). Such approach can explain how the engagement and the unique relationship are still possible in a highly commercialized and commoditized world of modern football.}},
  author       = {{Herd, Katarzyna}},
  issn         = {{1743-9590}},
  keywords     = {{Magic; football; Malmö FF; supporters; heterotopia; ethnography}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  pages        = {{1--12}},
  publisher    = {{Taylor & Francis}},
  series       = {{Soccer & Society}},
  title        = {{Constructing football through magic : an ethnographic study of football supporters}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/14660970.2015.1133415}},
  doi          = {{10.1080/14660970.2015.1133415}},
  year         = {{2016}},
}