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.
Introduction, 1. Football and Diaspora: A Theoretical Framework, Part I: Community and Representation, 2. Soccer Boundaries and Social Capital: How Fútbol Unites and Divides Ethiopian Diasporic Immigrants in the United States, 3. Croatian Australian Identity and Soccer Since 1945, 4. The Bolivian Diaspora in the Rise and Fall of the First Supporters Group in Major League Soccer: Losing Home, Part II: Transnational Connections, 5. Football Fandom and the Basque Diaspora in the United States: A Modern Passion with an Old-World Identity, 6. Morocco’s Atlas Lions and Diaspora Support in the 2022 FIFA World Cup: “Dima Maghrib (Morocco Forever)!”, 7. Reimagining National Pride and Patriotism: Online Fan Cultures of Zimbabwe Men’s Football Team Fans Outside the Country, Part III: Diasporic Claims, 8. Football and the Emergence of Diasporas: Representing Post-Soviet Conflict States Beyond Europe, 9. The Irish Diaspora and Celtic Football Club in Scotland: Power, Protest and Prejudice
Jeffrey W. Kassing is Professor of Communication Studies in the School of Social & Behavioral Sciences at Arizona State University, USA. His research interests include sport and identity, sports media, and soccer. He is the co-director of the Sport, Media, and Culture Research Group at Arizona State University. Sangmi Lee is Assistant Professor of Anthropology at the School of Social and Behavioral Sciences at Arizona State University, USA. She received her Doctor of Philosophy (D.Phil.) in anthropology at the University of Oxford, UK. Her research focuses on diaspora, transnationalism, nationalism, and multiculturalism based on ethnographic approach.
