Abstract The atmosphere surrounding soccer stadiums has changed drastically since the 1970’s and 80’s when racial abuse and discrimination was common. Soccer fans have found matches more family-friendly while authorities have over time introduced measures to improve standard behavior at matches. Despite such efforts, racial discrimination in sports is still evident in today’s world with several forms of discrimination identified ranging from; referee discrimination, customer discrimination and most commonly racial discrimination. Often quoted as the best soccer league in the world, the English Premier league is characterized by a mix of British born talents with around 25% being players from ethnic minority backgrounds. One can argue that the league is one of the most inclusive sports; however, it has its fair share of challenges emanating from racial discrimination. Black, non- White and non-European players have been found to have been discriminated based on their race and color. In the U.S. for instance, the emergence of the MLS as the world’s competitive leagues having received star players from the European leagues with most recently African-born Didier Drogba has brought a new dimension on the league in terms of inclusivity. Racial discrimination has been witnessed in the MLS and thus campaigns to curb the problem have been raised. By analyzing the different forms of racial discrimination and exploring the tools used by racist’s groups ways to curb the problem can be drawn in order to restore fun in soccer.
Key Words: Racism, Soccer,
The oxford dictionary defines racism as antagonism, prejudice and discrimination directed against someone or a group of people of different race basing on their belief or down’s race. Ruth Benedict defines racism as a dogma in which one ethnic group is condemned to inferiority by nature while another group destined to superiority (Monk, Winslade, & Sinclair, 2007, p. 342). While this definition does not outline the basis in which these groups are deemed inferior or superior it is evident over past and present incidences that imagined or real biological differences form the basis in which a distinction is drawn between the superior and inferior groups. It is a
The culture of soccer is more than just articles written in sport pages, or rumors about players been transferred from one club to another. It includes a bigger picture that covers many different social, political and economic aspects of the game. In countries where the sport is not that relevant, people refer to it as soccer. In others where the sport is very popular and has been around for a long time, it is referred to as football. When it comes to the sport, there are two very different ideas relevant to how people view it. In said countries where soccer is the national sport, the game is viewed as if it can achieve anything; from having just fun with your friends to helping unite people from around the world. In other countries where the sport is not as much popular, the game is seen as boring and is looked down on. This paper will explore how soccer is growing at such a rapid pace despite the fact that it can be viewed as violent and boring.
Soccer, or football to most of the world, has been one of the oldest sports in the history of the world. It is by far the most viewed, played, and biggest attendance sport throughout the countries, with the exception of the USA. Being the biggest sport in the world means having the biggest fan base as well. This sport has become as close to many fans hearts just as the bible can change people who read it. In this paper, the reader will understand how soccer has changed throughout the years, what the ideals of a unified code are in this sport, as well as the differences and similarities between youth and professional.
The belief that one race by nature stands superior to another defines racism. Racism can be traced back to the beginning of civilization and has always existed as a horrible issue in our society. Many attempts and reforms have occurred in hopes of eliminating racism and much progress has been achieved. Yet, even after the emancipation proclamation, equality laws placed within the constitution, small
The Cambridge Dictionaries Online (2011) defines racism as “the belief that people's qualities are influenced by their race and that the members of other races are not as good as the members of your own, or the resulting unfair treatment of members of other races.”
The prejudice that members of one race are intrinsically superior to members of other races; discriminatory or abusive behavior towards members of another race, is the definition of Racism, according to Webster’s Dictionary. Today the use of the term “racism” doesn’t just fall under one single definition. Racist practices often include the idea that humans can be subdivided into groups that are different in their social behavior and innate capacities and that can be ranked as inferior or superior.
What is racism? The word racism is defined as “the belief that a particular race is inferior to another race or races.” The Anti-Defamation League defined the word racism as “the hatred of one person by another, or belief that another person is less, because of skin color, language, customs, place of birth or any factor that supposedly reveals the basic nature of that person. It has influenced wars, slavery, the formation of nation and legal codes”
Ricardo Kaka, Zindine Zidane, these are the names of two legendary soccer players who represent the polarized sides of a very diverse spectrum of player attitudes, behaviors, and perspectives. Each player demonstrates a very high level of skill and determination that has brought them fans from across the globe, however one has conducted himself to a higher standard following respect and demonstrating fairness and honorable behaviors, whereas the other has acted disgracefully on multiple occasions and has sealed himself into the infamous side of the history books. These ideals must be reviewed and analyzed in order to understand what we have become as audiences, and what we venerate in society. Will we promote ethics or immorality? I believe these reflections can reveal a great sum about how we conduct ourselves and how we truly regard ethics in sports.
The dictionary defines racism as “a belief that race is the primary determinant of human traits and capacities and that racial differences produce an inherent superiority of a particular race.” Racism is one of the worst things to ever come about in the history of America. What began as feelings among whites of being superior to African Americans turned into one of the worst
The Oxford English Dictionary describes racism as “prejudice, discrimination, or antagonism directed against a group or individual of a different race based on the belief that one’s own race is superior”. It is significant when concerning oneself with the discussion of racism that a clear and concise distinction is made between the two different types of racism. Firstly there is individual racism. It is defined by overt acts carried out by an individual which can, in extreme cases; result in the death of the victim immediately. However it can also cause destruction of property, assaults, and verbal abuse and
Racialization is the process in which etho-racial groups get marginalized on the racial hierarchy that is constructed by White supremacists (Henry & Tator, 2010, pp. 319). Sports are social institutions that reinforce racial hierarchies in Canada (Henry & Tator, 2010, pp. 243). Although it is commonly denied that there is any racism in Canada, racism in sports has manifested through dominant media narratives, surveillance, and imagery in sports.
Let’s start with the definition of racism. Racism refers to the belief that race is the primary determinant of human capacities, that a certain race is inherently superior or inferior to others, and/or that individuals should be treated differently based on their ascribed race.
The idea of racism in English Football, particularly the Premier League, is nowhere near as old as racism in England or the rest of the United Kingdom for that matter. However, the Premier League is often times considered the world’s best league when it comes to football and draws the best talent from around the world. In the recent years, the league has seen a sizeable influx of players from outside Britain and Ireland, which shows a reflection of an increasingly commercialized game with a global reach. These incredible players are put on center stage week in and week out throughout England on the biggest public arenas and draw millions of faithful supporters to their home club’s stadium. However, even with an increase in the number of foreign-born players, racism is still very prevalent in the ever-growing sport. The reality is that football represents one of the tapestries onto which social achievements and problems, claims and counterclaims are ritually etched. The growing awareness of how racism is connected to football functions through a complicated framework which reveals it as a problem which is very much “out there” in wider society today. Racism does touch the game of football, its players, officials, and their millions of supporters and reinforces the notion that racism is still very ubiquitous in an England that is often times considered diverse and accepting.
In the field of Anthropology, there have been numerous studies on soccer and the different social plays that the sport contains. Groundbreaking and controversial writings such as Marcelo Mario Suarez-Orozco’s, A Study of Argentine Soccer: The Dynamics of Its Fans and Their Folklore (1982) study the fans and symbolism that surround the game. However, a key element that is often disregarded by anthropologists is the players themselves. Dismissed as the realm of journalists, most studies seem to shy away from the social interaction and symbolism that occurs within the team, and instead focus on how the fans view the game and the games role and symbolism within society as a whole. As a
Discrimination is based on one or more of the differences of nationality, religion, politics, culture, class, sex, age and colour. Discrimination of colour is known as racism. There has been a lot of racism going around in almost every sport such as American football, Basketball, soccer, rugby, boxing, Wrestling and Cricket. These are just a few of the popular sports that have racism in them, almost every sport have some sort of racism. In sports, discrimination is against those who are different in colour, those who decide to be attracted to their same gender which is called homosexual or maybe just because they are different than others.
'Racism', in the Oxford English Dictionary, is defined as "Prejudice, discrimination, or antagonism directed against someone of a different race based on the belief that one’s own race is superior", and, "The belief that all members of each race possess characteristics, abilities, or qualities specific to that race, especially so as to distinguish it as inferior or superior to another race or races". The essence of both definitions seems to be that specific characteristics are used to segregate people into different levels of superiority. While the truth behind this grouping and subsequent segregation is arguable, it is generally accepted that doing this is wrong. The first thing that tends to come