Bipolar (Un)patriots: national identity, ethnic identity and the 2006 FIFA World Cup

Carniel, Jessica (2006) Bipolar (Un)patriots: national identity, ethnic identity and the 2006 FIFA World Cup. In: Cultural Studies Association of Australasia Annual Conference (CSAA 2006), 6-8 Dec 2006, Canberra, Australia.

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Abstract

Qualifying for the first time since its World Cup debut in 1974, this international soccer tournament generated an unprecedented level of excitement amongst Australians. Beginning with a pre-tournament friendly with Greece, who did not qualify for the World Cup, Australia faced three countries from which significant numbers had migrated to Australia. Greek Australians, Italian Australians and Croatian Australians faced an interesting choice that heretofore had only been hypothetical: if Australia played Greece/Croatia/Italy in the World Cup, who would you support? The choice is laden with social, cultural and political implications. Discussions about choosing other national teams over the Socceroos should be read in light of recent public debate about national identity and citizenship. In the months preceding the 2006 World Cup, the role of dual citizenship and, by implication, multicultural and transnational Australian identities in contemporary Australian society were questioned and challenged. It is assumed that one’s choice of team also indicates one’s national loyalty, yet is it not also possible that one’s choice of team and one’s choice of country articulates fluid and multiple identities in an increasingly globalised context? Through an analysis of the shifting status of soccer in Australian society in recent years, this paper examines the complex relationship of sport and national identity, and the place of ethnic identification within the multicultural sporting nation.

Statistics for this ePrint Item

Item Type:	Conference or Workshop Item (Commonwealth Reporting Category E) (Paper)
Refereed:	Yes
Item Status:	Live Archive
Faculty / Department / School:	Historic - Faculty of Arts - Department of Humanities and International Studies
Date Deposited:	20 Dec 2017 00:15
Last Modified:	05 Mar 2018 06:50
Uncontrolled Keywords:	sport, Australia, immigration, identity, citizenship, belonging, multiculturalism, soccer, World Cup
Fields of Research :	20 Language, Communication and Culture > 2002 Cultural Studies > 200208 Migrant Cultural Studies 20 Language, Communication and Culture > 2002 Cultural Studies > 200209 Multicultural, Intercultural and Cross-cultural Studies 16 Studies in Human Society > 1608 Sociology > 160803 Race and Ethnic Relations 16 Studies in Human Society > 1606 Political Science > 160602 Citizenship
Socio-Economic Objective:	C Society > 95 Cultural Understanding > 9501 Arts and Leisure > 950102 Organised Sports E Expanding Knowledge > 97 Expanding Knowledge > 970116 Expanding Knowledge through Studies of Human Society
URI:	http://eprints.usq.edu.au/id/eprint/24945

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