Abstract
The main purpose of this text is to present, in summary, the contribution of Brazilian anthropology to sports studies, in particular to the understanding of football. It is initially argued that, despite the diversity of theoretical and methodological models of anthropology, which are reflected in the field of sports production, it is possible to identify the accumulation of productions around some themes, with inflections over almost half a century since the defense of the first thesis on football in Brazil. The text is divided into three parts. Firstly, the aim is to show how anthropology has contributed to broaden the understanding of football as a social and cultural fact. Consistent with the principle of diversity, one of the pillars of the discipline, it highlights the importance of thinking about football in a plural way. As a corollary, the concept of “footballs” is explained and it is argued that such diversity could be grouped into five main circuits. The second part discusses the issue of identities and otherness, around which there is a remarkable concentration and convergence of studies in Brazilian anthropology. Finally, a concise and diachronic narrative is conducted, presenting the main thematic transitions that occurred in the spectrum of Brazilian anthropology, with works and authors that marked this production.
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Notes
- 1.
This is a performance practice, carried out in some regions of Brazil, in which football matches are played with the presence of wild bulls on the field.
- 2.
- 3.
When suggesting that club commitment is essential to the spectacle football, I am not assuming that all supporters are equally implicated by this modality of identity appeal, nor the consumers of the spectacle, whether in stadiums or elsewhere, are an indistinct mass of fanatics. I admit, therefore, Giulianotti’s (2005) suggestions as a sociologically adequate and even essential cutout for the understanding of disputes around cheering, regarding moral, aesthetic, and economic modulations.
- 4.
Translator’s note: “Ismo,” in Portuguese, corresponds to the suffix “ism” in English.
- 5.
Translator’s note: The expression “torcida organizada” (TO) could be adapted, in English, into “football organized supporters” or “organized groups of football/soccer fans.”
- 6.
Translator’s note: Literally, “torcida” is also translated into English as “twisted.”
- 7.
Translator’s note: Could be translated into “Football Universe.”
- 8.
Translator’s note: In Portuguese, this area is called “geral.”
- 9.
Translator’s note: Brazilian Meeting of Anthropology, RBA, is the largest and most relevant anthropology congress in Brazil. It is held every two years in a different city within the country.
- 10.
Translator’s note: Mercosul Meeting of Anthropology, RAM, is another important congress in South America. It takes place every two years in a different country, alternating with RBA.
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Damo, A.S. (2021). Football and Anthropology in Brazil. In: Giglio, S.S., Proni, M.W. (eds) Football and Social Sciences in Brazil. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-84686-2_13
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