top of page
Jess Portch

IS FOOTBALL JUST A TOOL FOR MEN TO ASSERT THEIR MASCULINITY?

Some men are believed to use violence as a way to reinforce their masculinity.

Emma Louise Boynton has recently discussed how the way men's football culture perpetuates violence. She says how "the violence, the racism, the scenes of football hooliganism that ensued following Sunday's (11th July 2021) defeat were a sharp reminder of the darker side of the culture that surrounds football".

Additionally, in the 20th century, casual youth cultures are known to have been involved in violent incidences consequently of their style, territoriality and football fandom.

Ellis (2015) touches on this in his book, 'Men, Masculinities and Violence: An Ethnographic Study'. He links violence and masculinity, suggesting some men use violence to assert their manhood.

Italian culture, however, was meant to have provoked change in football fashion culture. Italian culture became a catalyst for change during Italia 90 when Italians demonstrated that sport could be fashionable, causing British players to disregard the traditional masculine stereotype of footballers and become fashionable.

This, therefore, may contradict the argument that football is used by men to assert their masculinity due to the recent displays of football violence. There has been no violent events linked to football fashion culture, however.

コメント


bottom of page