Latin American and Caribbean Ethnography Seminar

Organised by the Centre for Latin American and Caribbean Studies (CLACS)

Speaker: Emma Frazer (University of Bristol and Cardiff University, UK)

Participant Ethnographic Research in Buenos Aires and Rio de Janeiro: Exploring Women’s Empowerment through Playing Football 

Across Latin America, women’s football has repeatedly been discouraged, restricted and even prohibited at state level, with the explicit aim of preventing women from playing, while the men’s game was encouraged and became representative of the national identity. The inequalities are still very present; women have to overcome gendered expectations to play, face stigma, and receive far less structural support. So, why do women choose to play football? What impact does football have on their lives? How does playing empower them off the pitch?   

For my research, I spent nine months conducting participant ethnographic field work in Buenos Aires and Rio de Janeiro to explore these questions in the heart of two footballing nations. I played football with thirteen different women’s teams, conducted two dozen interviews and had more than 200 players complete my questionnaire, using the methodological framework of Grounded Theory to code my data and generate theory. Through being able to speak Spanish and Portuguese, and, crucially, by playing football with the women, I was able to achieve a special level of access and familiarity with players. In turn, I hope to communicate their experiences to a wider audience in a way that rings true to the players. 

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