‘Football as the Women’s Second Language’: An Audience Study of Transnational Female Football Fans Living in Lund.
(2024) MKVM13 20241Media and Communication Studies
Department of Communication and Media
- Abstract
- The sport of football is commonly perceived as a domain traditionally associated with masculinity, thereby marginalizing women who, as female fans, constantly encounter societal expectations regarding their genuine passion for the game. To achieve the status of being perceived as authentic, they often are ‘forced’ to negotiate their gender identities so that their fandom identity becomes evident. As a result, female fans of male football find themselves struggling in a world where their gender identity and fandom identity collide and are in conflict. Furthermore, female fans struggle to maintain the intensity of their fandom not only due to the male nature that constitutes football as a sport but also due to living and studying abroad. The... (More)
- The sport of football is commonly perceived as a domain traditionally associated with masculinity, thereby marginalizing women who, as female fans, constantly encounter societal expectations regarding their genuine passion for the game. To achieve the status of being perceived as authentic, they often are ‘forced’ to negotiate their gender identities so that their fandom identity becomes evident. As a result, female fans of male football find themselves struggling in a world where their gender identity and fandom identity collide and are in conflict. Furthermore, female fans struggle to maintain the intensity of their fandom not only due to the male nature that constitutes football as a sport but also due to living and studying abroad. The role of media and transnationality play a crucial role in understanding and exploring how these factors shape female fans’ experiences, engagement, and fandom. To critically analyze and engage with those concepts, 13 audience semi-structured interviews and one expert interview were combined with the media-go-along and media ethnography method. The audience interviews reveal the complex relationship of transnational female fans' engagement with football in their home countries and Lund. Gender roles in football come up as informants show that despite the progress made in the last year, in many countries, football continues to be predominantly associated with expressions and performances of traditional masculinity.
Furthermore, this method exhibits how identity is fluid and multifaceted. At times, transnational female fans are compelled to engage in identity negotiation, a process intertwined with the complexities of gender, national and transnational affiliation. Nevertheless, generally, they try to empower each other and engage in conviviality as they find common ways to share life with others in Lund. Lastly, the media ethnography exhibited how bars in Lund are still packed mostly with men. This phenomenon is dominant not merely in other countries but also Sweden. A few informants who joined me to watch matches in the bar showed how their gender is an obstacle to doing fandom the same way as men because they often lack the confidence to show their genuine support for the team, fearing that they will encounter judgment. This study elucidates the struggle of female fans in assimilating within a milieu delineated by entrenched norms of traditional masculinity, both in their home country and Sweden. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
http://lup.lub.lu.se/student-papers/record/9151546
- author
- Noka, Evianda LU
- supervisor
- organization
- course
- MKVM13 20241
- year
- 2024
- type
- H2 - Master's Degree (Two Years)
- subject
- keywords
- Fandom, gender, identity, engagement, transnationality, media-go-along
- language
- English
- id
- 9151546
- date added to LUP
- 2024-06-12 08:26:00
- date last changed
- 2024-06-12 08:26:00
@misc{9151546,
abstract = {{The sport of football is commonly perceived as a domain traditionally associated with masculinity, thereby marginalizing women who, as female fans, constantly encounter societal expectations regarding their genuine passion for the game. To achieve the status of being perceived as authentic, they often are ‘forced’ to negotiate their gender identities so that their fandom identity becomes evident. As a result, female fans of male football find themselves struggling in a world where their gender identity and fandom identity collide and are in conflict. Furthermore, female fans struggle to maintain the intensity of their fandom not only due to the male nature that constitutes football as a sport but also due to living and studying abroad. The role of media and transnationality play a crucial role in understanding and exploring how these factors shape female fans’ experiences, engagement, and fandom. To critically analyze and engage with those concepts, 13 audience semi-structured interviews and one expert interview were combined with the media-go-along and media ethnography method. The audience interviews reveal the complex relationship of transnational female fans' engagement with football in their home countries and Lund. Gender roles in football come up as informants show that despite the progress made in the last year, in many countries, football continues to be predominantly associated with expressions and performances of traditional masculinity.
Furthermore, this method exhibits how identity is fluid and multifaceted. At times, transnational female fans are compelled to engage in identity negotiation, a process intertwined with the complexities of gender, national and transnational affiliation. Nevertheless, generally, they try to empower each other and engage in conviviality as they find common ways to share life with others in Lund. Lastly, the media ethnography exhibited how bars in Lund are still packed mostly with men. This phenomenon is dominant not merely in other countries but also Sweden. A few informants who joined me to watch matches in the bar showed how their gender is an obstacle to doing fandom the same way as men because they often lack the confidence to show their genuine support for the team, fearing that they will encounter judgment. This study elucidates the struggle of female fans in assimilating within a milieu delineated by entrenched norms of traditional masculinity, both in their home country and Sweden.}},
author = {{Noka, Evianda}},
language = {{eng}},
note = {{Student Paper}},
title = {{‘Football as the Women’s Second Language’: An Audience Study of Transnational Female Football Fans Living in Lund.}},
year = {{2024}},
}