A1 Journal article (refereed)
Meanings given to race/ethnicity in everyday football talk by young adult Polish audiences : a reception study (2023)

van Lienden, A., van Sterkenburg, J., & Sommier, M. (2023). Meanings given to race/ethnicity in everyday football talk by young adult Polish audiences : a reception study. Journal of Multicultural Discourses, 18 (3), 175-190. https://doi.org/10.1080/17447143.2023.2244930

JYU authors or editors

Publication details

All authors or editors: van Lienden, Arne; van Sterkenburg, Jacco; Sommier, Mélodine

Journal or series: Journal of Multicultural Discourses

ISSN: 1744-7143

eISSN: 1747-6615

Publication year: 2023

Publication date: 22/08/2023

Volume: 18

Issue number: 3

Pages range: 175-190

Publisher: Routledge

Publication country: United Kingdom

Publication language: English

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/17447143.2023.2244930

Publication open access: Openly available

Publication channel open access: Partially open access channel

Publication is parallel published (JYX): https://jyx.jyu.fi/handle/123456789/88797

Abstract

A wide body of research has focused on representations of race/ethnicity in sport media content, because of its central location in popular culture. These studies found that sport media content serves as a site where hegemonic and reductive discourses surrounding racial/ethnic identities are habitually reproduced. So far, these studies have predominantly been textual analyses. Studies that take into account the polysemic readings of media content by audiences remain few, especially beyond the Anglosphere and Western Europe. This audience reception study addresses this gap by exploring how young audiences of televised football relate to racialized preferred readings, and how they themselves give meaning to race/ethnicity and Whiteness in their everyday football talk, in the little-researched context of Poland. In 13 focus groups (n = 45) with young adults (17–30) several key discourses were identified. This study found that most of the interviewees reproduced hegemonic discourses surrounding racial/ethnic differences, in particular regarding Black football players. The study also identified that in their everyday football talk audiences (re)produced contingent hierarchies of Whiteness.

Keywords: football; ethnicity; ethnic identity; sports journalism; media studies; audience

Free keywords: sport media; whiteness; race/ethnicity; audience receptions; Poland

Contributing organizations

Ministry reporting: Yes

VIRTA submission year: 2023

JUFO rating: 1