A different atmosphere? The fan experience of the FA Women's Super League
Lead Research Organisation:
Keele University
Department Name: Faculty of Humanities & Social Sciences
Abstract
My research investigates queer and ethnically minoritised fan's experiences of identity and belonging in the FA Women's Super League (WSL), within a landscape which positions the space of women's football as 'inclusive' and 'safe':
Sport has been identified as an important site for the construction of individuals' sense of belonging and identity (Crawford, 2004). Yet, membership in sport fandoms tends to be raced, classed, and gendered, so access to a sense of belonging tends to be limited (Crawford, 2004).
Using a qualitative, multi-method approach which combines media analysis, auto-ethnography, participant observation, and interviews with WSL fans.
The research contributes to theorisations of sports fandom in two key two intersecting fields of media and cultural studies: audience studies and feminist cultural geographies, taking an intersectional approach to how fandom is constructed, negotiated, and experienced across physical and digital spaces.
There is little research on fans of female football, and that which does exist, has tended to overlook the experiences of ethnically minoritised and queer fans (Pope, 2017). This project engages with this urgency by bringing queer and ethnically minoritised fan's experiences to the forefront of international debates surrounding sport fans. This is particularly relevant as women's football tends to be sold and marketed as 'family friendly' and 'safe' which tends to hide/marginalise the experiences of many.
Sport has been identified as an important site for the construction of individuals' sense of belonging and identity (Crawford, 2004). Yet, membership in sport fandoms tends to be raced, classed, and gendered, so access to a sense of belonging tends to be limited (Crawford, 2004).
Using a qualitative, multi-method approach which combines media analysis, auto-ethnography, participant observation, and interviews with WSL fans.
The research contributes to theorisations of sports fandom in two key two intersecting fields of media and cultural studies: audience studies and feminist cultural geographies, taking an intersectional approach to how fandom is constructed, negotiated, and experienced across physical and digital spaces.
There is little research on fans of female football, and that which does exist, has tended to overlook the experiences of ethnically minoritised and queer fans (Pope, 2017). This project engages with this urgency by bringing queer and ethnically minoritised fan's experiences to the forefront of international debates surrounding sport fans. This is particularly relevant as women's football tends to be sold and marketed as 'family friendly' and 'safe' which tends to hide/marginalise the experiences of many.
Organisations
People |
ORCID iD |
| Chloe Hills (Student) |