While I do not know much about soccer, I have, in the past
year gathered some research for classes on the topic of homophobia and racism
in athletics and came to the realization that soccer is a sport that struggles,
like many others, to accept people that are different from themselves. After
reading this article it reminded me of something I read last year. I cannot
find the article to post at the bottom, but there is some research on fans and
their opinions about inclusivity in sport that is interesting. I will look for
that article and post it, so that I can provide the citation.
The article in particular that I looked at tried to ask fans
themselves why they use racial and homophobic slurs in the crowd and on sports
blogs online. They found that fans in general were very open to having People
of Color on their sports teams and openly gay men. Many fans stated that they
did not care about race or orientation they only cared about winning. If it
took a team of all gay men to win the championship then they would still
support their team. The research also found that that fans only used racial and
homophobic slurs towards opposing teams, not because it was out of hate, but
rather it was because they knew it was offensive and they are phrases that have
become the most offensive thing to say to someone in public. It was more of a
tactic to help their team win. They did not see it as racist or homophobic
because they were saying it to help their team. They did not actually mean it. So the question I would ask is
not how do we make sport more inclusive but how do we change an entire culture?
I do not have an answer to that question. I have no idea how
we as a society change how to approach the differences of each human. If sports
fans do not care about race and orientation, but still know it is hurtful to
say to an opposing player I do not know how to change that. Would it help to
start with kicking fans out of games? Fining them? I have no idea, but this is
more than just a sports problem, it is a society problem. I would argue that
society is more inclusive than it has ever been, but sports are one area that
moves slower than any other institution in our society.
Again, I will look for that file and post it for anyone that is interested in reading the article. It could be an interesting area for a project.
Again, I will look for that file and post it for anyone that is interested in reading the article. It could be an interesting area for a project.
Campbell,
ReplyDeleteI think you bring up some very interesting points that have been backed by research. I would agree that fans that make those comments probably do not mean them. Those fans are just trying to say those things to be offensive towards the other team.
To stop comments like this from happening, stadium secuirties would have to start being very aggressive in terms of regulating people in the arena. Kicking fans out of games seems to be something that would be very intriguing. Unfortunately, stadium security personnel would have to increase in order to regulate everyone in a stadium. Also, litigation cases would probably become more frequent because of the fact that fans would argue the fact that they have paid their money and can say what they want. Soemthing needs to be done, especially in soccer.
Above comment: Derek Shay
DeleteThis blog makes me think of Michael Sam and him coming out before the NFL Draft. Although it seems that many people are supportive and are not judging Michael Sam, in reality there will always be people who do not support him. It is sad but I believe that is the truth. Not everybody is going to be accepting to an openly gay male playing a "man's game". Sadly this is why you do not see more professional athletes come out. I am not sure what can be done to stop the comments and hatred.
ReplyDeleteYou always bring up very interesting points. I wonder who makes the decision and cares about the fact that a player may have different sexual orientations, or a different skin color and that's where the issue lies. In my opinion, as long as the athletes are out there being allowed to do what they love, and do a good job representing the team in a respectful manner, that's all that should be important. I think it's easier to make a sport more inclusive, like you said, however how DO we change an entire culture? Quite personally, I think it's impossible because you can't make everyone happy, but perhaps if we could get the majority of individuals to think a certain way, that will help sway others. Regardless if people were saying racial slurs not because they meant it, but simply because they were trying to be a distraction is not okay. It shouldn't be allowed under any circumstance, and those fans should put themselves in the athlete's position. Would they want people shouting mean things at them? If I had to guess, their answer would be no.
ReplyDeleteThanks for posting,
Jackie
Cam,
ReplyDeleteI would be interested to see the article you mentioned in your entry above. I wonder the same thing as you - how do we change a whole culture? To me, you cannot just separate your team from your opponent's team and say that it's okay to be homophobic, racist and/or sexist just because it's the other team. I saw the story about the Hiram Women's Basketball team that embraced the player who had a terminal illness. But why must someone be on their death bed to show an ethic of care? Does sport really have to be so cut-throat? This is a good entry!
Dr. Spencer