Otherness in Football. An Anthropological Approach to a Controversy

Abstract

Introduction: Football is a complex and contradictory reality that allows for multiple analyses and interpretations, being a focus for understanding behaviours and social logics beyond the sport itself. Methodology: A qualitative methodology was used, employing research techniques such as observation and interview. The aim is not to make value judgements, but to interpret the underlying logics of the discourses and facts observed. Results: The study focuses on the ‘masculinity mandate’ and the concept of ‘otherness’, based on the thinking of anthropologist Rita Segato. Through these axes, an anthropological analysis of the structural relations manifested in football is carried out. Discussion: It is concluded that football, through its corporate structures and relations, reproduces and legitimises forms of loyalty, hierarchisation and competitiveness typical of patriarchal devices. The presence of women in football is not sufficient to transform these structures. Conclusions: Although football reflects and reinforces patriarchal forces, it also presents spaces where these forces can be destabilised, offering potential for significant changes in social dynamics.