Uniting Europe through Football

The book explores how football fandom as a leisure and lifeworld activity can contribute to strengthening identification with and social cohesion in Europe. Based on the three-year research project FANZinE (Football as the basis for social cohesion in Europe), financed by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), the book allows readers to understand the intersection and causal interaction between football fandom, European identities, and social cohesion in Europe, using four European countries Germany, Norway, Poland, and Spain.

This book is aimed at those engaged in football and broader sport research, European Studies, as well as identity and social cohesion research. It will also be of interest to advanced students in the fields of Political Science, International Relations, European Studies, Sports Studies, and Sociology.

Analyses how football fandom, identification, and social cohesion relate to each other conceptually and empirically Investigates the extent to which football fans identify with Europe Assesses how football fandom can be used to strengthen identification with and social cohesion in Europe

Autorentext

Jonas Biel is a research associate at the Department of Political Science at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Germany.
Tobias Finger is a research associate at the Department of Political Science at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Germany.
Arne Niemann is Professor of International Politics and Jean Monnet Professor of European Integration Studies at the Department of Political Science, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Germany.
Vincent Reinke is a research associate at the Department of Political Science at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Germany.

Inhalt

1 Introduction.- 2. Identity and Social Cohesion.- 3. Fandom in Europeanised Football.- 4. Analytical Framework and Research Design.- 5. Media on European Football.- 6. Survey of Fans and Non-Fans.- 7. Expert Interviews.- 8. Conclusion.