discrimination in football essay

Racism in football: new research shows media treats black men differently to white men

Lecturer in Sociology (Race, Ethnicity and Leisure), University of Leicester

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Paul Ian Campbell does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

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On BBC Sport, Match of the Day pundits Ian Wright and Alan Shearer recently had a conversation about racism in football. Shearer, the white ex-England international striker asked his black ex-teammate Wright: “Do you believe a black guy gets treated differently to a white guy?” Wright’s response was unequivocal: “Without a doubt, Al!”

Black players face discrimination on every level: public (anti-black racism from fans in stadiums ), private (abusive DMs on social media ) and institutional (lack of management and coaching opportunities ). Wright, however, also pointed to the disparate treatment players receive in the press, referencing recent reports on similar property investments by strikers Marcus Rashford and Phil Foden.

Rashford, who plays for Manchester United and is black, was framed an extravagant, cash-rich, cash-loose footballer . Foden, meanwhile, who plays for City and is white, was described as the local Stockport boy looking after his family .

A recent study on racial stereotyping in football match commentary, which I co-authored with Louis Bebb, backs up this observation. The findings show how differently black and white footballers are talked about within the very TV studios where Wright and Shearer work.

Considerable differences

The study focused on commentary during the FIFA World Cup in 2018. It analysed 1,009 comments of praise given to footballers during 30 hours of BBC and ITV coverage, across 20 matches (between 19 of the 32 competing teams). We found that black players were overwhelmingly praised for their perceived physical prowess and natural athleticism, and white players for their intelligence and character.

We sorted the comments by attribute. The percentage breakdown of 281 praise comments given to visibly black players centred on physical (69.8%), natural (10.7%), learned (10.3%), character (5%) and cognitive (4%) attributes. Of the 448 praise comments given to white players, 47.9% were for their learned attributes, followed by physical (18.3%), character (13.8%), cognition (11.4%) and natural (8.6%) attributes.

The data indicated that this was not simply a case of commentators reporting objectively on what they had seen in the match. Instead, certain attributes, such as power and pace, were more likely to be noticed or overlooked depending on the player’s race.

Racialised stereotypes

Many of the racial stereotypes in sport are traceable back to the pseudo race sciences that emerged in the 1800s, and particularly to social Darwinism . This held that white people were the most evolved race in terms of intellect, morality and character, and as such, did not require physical prowess. Black people were considered to be the least evolved, inherently violent, lazy, intellectually limited and lacking in character – they conversely needed greater physical strength than white people.

This facilitated the view that black people were inherently suited to physical activities rather than cognitive tasks. It was seen as making them natural athletes.

As Dean Cromwell , coach to the University of Southern California track and US Olympic sprint teams, wrote in 1941: “It was not long ago that [the African Americans athlete’s] ability to sprint and jump was a life-and-death matter to him in the jungle.”

Damaging impact

The near blanket praise by football commentators for black physiology in our study reinforces the idea of the “natural” black athlete.

This has a detrimental effect on how we see and value black talent, in that it is celebrated while simultaneously reduced to being about physical attributes. By this logic, black players are only professional footballers because they are supremely strong, or can run fast, or jump high.

This is how Manchester City’s Raheem Sterling was characterised during the 2018 tournament on UK radio station, talkSPORT. Here, the commentator, white ex-Wales international midfielder Vinnie Jones (ironically a player of very limited technical ability) asserted that if Sterling didn’t have pace he would not even be playing for England or any team in the English Premier League.

He would instead, said Jones , “be playing for Exeter”, that is, in the lowest professional division in English football.

Beyond sport

Ideas of black people as natural athletes contribute to wider social myths of black people as hyperphysical, uncontrollably strong and cognitively challenged. These ideas have very real consequences for black communities in Britain.

This perception often legitimises brutality by the state. In 2020 black-heritage young people were three times more likely to be tasered by police for the same crimes as white criminals. And black people with mental health conditions were more likely to be detained when compared to all other ethnic-groups.

Black children, meanwhile, were more likely to be predicted grades below their intellectual talent , and five times more likely to be excluded for similar misbehaviour as white peers.

Necessary changes

We need to expand our definition of what constitutes racist behaviour and attitudes. Instead of focusing only on those forms of discrimination and abuse that require intent, we need to understand that unintentional practices also contribute to racism.

Our study shows that racism includes the match commentary of sports broadcasters who – arguably unwittingly – treat black and white players differently. As shown here, these practices may not be intentional, but they contribute to racism in society more broadly, and so need to be unlearned.

We recommend that those within the sport media industry undertake more robust and meaningful education programmes. Doing reflexive tallying exercises like that employed in our study would help them identify racial stereotyping and discrimination within their own journalistic practice.

We also argue that media and journalism degrees - where we train producers and journalists of the future - also have an integral role to play. Unless this happens, we will continue to see black people being treated differently on the pitch, in commentary boxes and in wider society.

• Discrimination
• Racial Stereotyping
• Sports commentary
• Anti-Black racism
• racism in football
• UK football

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Essay On Racism in Football | A Socio-Cultural Issue

Racism in football is a pervasive and persistent issue that continues to plague the sport. This essay delves into the problem of racism in football, exploring its origins, impacts, and solutions.

Essay: Racism in Football | Causes, Impacts & Solutions

Introduction :

Football is the most popular sport in the world, with millions of fans and players across the globe. However, despite its popularity, football is plagued by a persistent problem – racism. Racism in football refers to any form of discrimination, prejudice or hostility directed towards individuals or groups based on their race, ethnicity or nationality. This essay examines the problem of racism in football, exploring its causes, impacts, and potential solutions.

Causes of Racism in Football:

Racism in football is a complex issue that has its roots in a range of social and cultural factors. Some of the main causes of racism in football include:

• Historical factors such as colonialism, slavery, and imperialism, which have created long-standing racial and ethnic tensions in societies around the world.
• Stereotypes and prejudices that are perpetuated through the media, educational institutions, and societal norms. Fan culture, where fans use football as an outlet to express their prejudices and biases.
• Lack of diversity and representation in the sport, which perpetuates the idea that certain races or ethnicities are less capable or less worthy of playing football at a high level.

Impacts of Racism in Football:

Racism in football has significant negative impacts on individuals, teams, and society as a whole. Some of the main impacts of racism in football include:

• Emotional harm to the victims of racism, who are subjected to abuse, discrimination, and prejudice.
• Damaged team dynamics, which can affect performance and team morale.
• Negative impact on the sport’s reputation, which can lead to decreased interest and participation in football.
• Reinforcement of negative stereotypes and prejudices, which can perpetuate racism in wider society.

Solutions to Racism in Football:

To address the problem of racism in football, a range of solutions need to be implemented. Some potential solutions include:

• Education and awareness-raising campaigns to promote diversity and inclusion in football and challenge stereotypes and prejudices.
• Increased representation of people from diverse backgrounds in leadership positions within football organizations.
• Stricter penalties for racist behavior, including fines, bans, and criminal charges where appropriate.
• The development of anti-racism policies and protocols within football organizations to address racism in a proactive and systematic way.

Conclusion :

Racism in football is a pervasive and persistent issue that requires urgent action. Through education, awareness-raising, and the implementation of effective policies and protocols, it is possible to tackle the problem of racism in football and create a more inclusive and equitable sport for all. It is up to individuals, teams, and football organizations to take a proactive and sustained approach to address the problem of racism in football and create positive change.

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Home — Essay Samples — Social Issues — Gender Discrimination — Gender Inequality In Football

Gender Inequality in Football

• Categories: Football Gender Discrimination Soccer

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Published: Apr 29, 2022

Words: 1383 | Pages: 3 | 7 min read

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Tent camps razed and activists arrested as tunisia clamps down on migrants.

Bouazza Ben Bouazza

Associated Press

Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

Activists demonstrate outside the delegation of the European Union to Tunisia against migrant deals with EU, in the capital Tunis, Thursday, May 9, 2024. Tensions in Tunisia are ratcheting up as authorities increasingly targeting migrants communities from the country's shoreline to its capital, where protestors staged a sit-in in front of European Union headquarters on Thursday. Banner in Arabic reads "Speeches in Carthage, decisions in Rome." (AP Photo/Anis Mili)

TUNIS – Tensions in Tunisia ratcheted up as demonstrators seeking better rights for migrants staged a sit-in before European Union headquarters on Thursday, capping a week in which Tunisian authorities targeted migrant communities from the coast to the capital with arrests and the demolition of tent camps.

Several activists were apprehended this week, accused of financial crimes stemming from providing aid to migrants. Authorities razed encampments outside U.N. headquarters, sweeping up dozens of sub-Saharan Africans who had been living there for months.

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Fewer migrants have made the dangerous journey across the Mediterranean Sea this year compared to last year, due to weather and beefed-up border security. The 2024 figures are in line with objectives set by the EU as part of a deal worth more than 1 billion euros ($1.1 billion) that included assistance to better police the border and prevent migrants without papers from reaching Europe.

However, human rights activists say the crackdown has been damaging for the tens of thousands of migrants stuck in Tunisia as a result.

Demonstrators on Thursday blasted the security-centric approach that governments on both sides of the Mediterranean Sea have chosen to drive their migration policies. Some of the signs at the protests decried Tunisia's cooperation with Italy and Europe, while others mourned the lives of Tunisians who have died or gone missing at sea.

Bodies continue to wash ashore on the country's central coastline not far from small towns where migrants have clashed with police and farmers have grown increasingly wary of the growing presence of encampments in olive groves where they make their livings, claiming rampant theft and staging protests demanding government intervention, according to local media.

The number of migrants reaching Italy in 2024 fell by two-thirds, compared to the same point last year, according to figures from Italy’s Interior Ministry on May 8.

The U.N. refugee agency UNHCR reported that more than 24,000 migrants travelled from Tunisia to Italy in the first four months of 2023 while fewer than 8,000 had successfully made the journey over the same time period this year.

These trends relieve pressure on European officials hoping to avoid overcrowded detention centers, high numbers of asylum claims and increased concern about immigration ahead of EU parliamentary elections in June.

But in Tunisia, an opposite reality is taking shape.

In April, authorities directly thwarted 209 migration attempts and in total prevented more than 8,200 migrants from reaching Italy, the majority from sub-Saharan African countries. The Tunisian Coast Guard said it had prevented more than 21,000 migrants from reaching Italy this year.

“Tunisia is deepening the crisis and promoting the idea that there is no solution,” Romdane Ben Amor of the Tunisian Forum for Economic and Social Rights, a leading NGO known by its French abbreviation FTDES, told Radio Mosaïque, the country’s largest private radio station.

President Kaïs Saïed acknowledged on Monday that migrants were being deported from coastal cities to the borderlands in “continued cooperation” with neighboring countries. He claimed that pro-migrant “traitors and agents” were being funneled millions in euros and dollars to help settle migrants without legal status in Tunisia.

He made similar remarks last year, when he said sub-Saharan African migrants were part of a plot to erase his country’s identity.

His comments followed the arrest earlier this week of Saadia Mosbah, a Black Tunisian anti-discrimination activist, and Sherifa Riahi, the former president of an asylum rights group.

Mosbah was taken into custody and her home was searched as part of an investigation into the funding for the Mnemty association she runs. She was arrested after she posted on social media condemning the racism she faced for her work from people accusing her of helping sub-Saharan African migrants, said Bassem Trifi, the president of the Tunisian League for the Defense of Human Rights.

Riahi was arrested on Wednesday under the same financial crimes law, Radio Mosaïque reported.

Last week, more than 80 migrants were arrested in Tunis after clashes with law enforcement during the clearance of encampments in the capital that the authorities said were “disturbing the peace,” according to Radio Mosaïque.

Hundreds of migrants had camped near the headquarters of UNHCR and the International Organization for Migration, many of them demanding the agencies resettle them outside of Tunisia. Law enforcement used heavy machinery to raze their tents and then bused them outside of the city to “an unknown destination,” said Ben Amor from FTDES.

An estimated 244 migrants — most of them from outside Tunisia — have died or disappeared along the country's Mediterranean coastline this year, including 24 whose bodies were found last week, the NGO said.

In a report based on government data released Monday, it noted that the number of migrants without papers crossing the Mediterranean had decreased as Tunisian authorities reported an increasing number of interceptions. This was the case for both migrants from Tunisia and migrants passing through the country en route to Europe.

North African and European officials have sought to curb human trafficking and to improve the policing of borders and coastlines to prevent deaths at sea. However, thousands of migrants fleeing conflict, poverty, persecution or hoping for a better life have continued to make the journey. They take boats from the coast north of Sfax, Tunisia's second-largest city, to Italian islands such as Lampedusa, about 130 kilometers (81 miles) away.

The European Union hopes to limit migration with policies including development assistance, voluntary return and repatriation for migrants and forging closer ties with neighboring governments that police their borders. The EU and member countries such as Italy have pledged billions of dollars over the past year to countries including Tunisia, Mauritania and Egypt to provide general government aid, migrant services and border patrols.

Metz contributed reporting from Rabat. Follow AP's global migration coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/migration

Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.

N.J. Grandmother Earns Her Degree After Five Decades

Graduate Spotlight: At age 72, Rosalyn Coppola graduates from Montclair State University

Posted in: Uncategorized , University

Rosalyn Coppola, a 72-year-old grandmother who has been taking college classes over the past five decades, will finally walk across the stage for her diploma on May 13 at Montclair State University’s Commencement. Now, she says, she has a joyful response when her grandchildren ask, “Grandma, are you graduating from college?”

Enthusiastically, she tells them, “Yes, I am!”

Coppola’s commitment to lifelong learning, her tenacity and youthful spirit helped pave the way for this milestone as a member of Montclair’s Class of 2024. She is among 18 students earning the Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Studies through the University’s Degree Completion Program , a pathway for adults to return and earn their college degree.

Coppola will participate in Commencement at Prudential Center in Newark. But ahead of the pomp of the big ceremony, she had the opportunity on May 4 to commemorate her achievements with family and her four grandchildren at a send-off celebration held on campus for this year’s Degree Completion Programs’ graduates. Family members presented stoles to the graduates to wear over their Commencement regalia and reflected on their journeys as returning students known as “some college, no degree.”

“Their hard work and persistence brought these students to this moment,” says Jane Sanchez Swain, assistant director for Degree Completion Programs. “It wasn’t easy, it took long nights, early mornings, and stretching themselves between family responsibilities, work obligations, and everything else life brings.”

Coppola’s journey started 53 years ago. Married to her high school sweetheart, Dennis Coppola, she worked in the fashion industry in New York City after earning an associate degree in Fashion Merchandising at Berkeley College. After the birth of their first daughter, Deena, she took a job closer to home and enrolled in Caldwell College’s education program.  She continued going to school when her son, Dennis Jr., was born by taking him with her to class. “He would sit there and listen,” she says.

The years went by, her children Christopher and Mary Lyn were born, and Coppola balanced raising the family with teaching religion to school-age children at their church and working as a school paraprofessional. The home was filled with music: Elvis, Connie Francis and beloved melodies of the ’50s and ’60s. While Coppola, off and on, continued taking college classes, all four of her children would go on to earn advanced degrees.

A Montclair connection began in 1980 when her husband, a former Teacher of the Year, earned his master’s degree in Counseling, Human Service and Guidance. When their daughter Deena, then attending Berklee College of Music in Boston, enrolled in Montclair summer classes, her mother decided to join her. Mary Lyn would earn her Master of Arts in Teaching in 2016.

Coppola began to regularly come to campus in 2018, two years after her husband passed away, for classes offered through the Senior Citizen Learning Program . “I thought the younger students would ignore me or make fun of me, but they didn’t. Everyone was so nice,” she says. “It made all the difference.”

Coppola was taking a computer class when COVID-19 struck, and luckily so, because those skills would help as classes moved online. She was beginning to question if she would ever graduate, when she learned about the Degree Completion Programs.

That program, fully online and scheduled in eight-week terms, provides maximum flexibility for adults while allowing for an accelerated degree completion timeline along two tracks: Humanities Concentration and Education Studies Concentration .

“Rosalyn is a reminder that it is never too late to work toward your dreams and that you can absolutely do what you put your mind to,” Sanchez Swain says.

Coppola hopes to use her BA in Liberal Studies with the Education Studies concentration to pursue a role in fashion design or art education. But first, after working for years at her dining room table, her laptop and papers scattered all around her, “I can’t wait to clean up.”

Story by Staff Writer Marilyn Joyce Lehren . Photos by John J. LaRosa for Montclair State University.

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'Heartbreaking': survey reveals extent of gender discrimination in football

• Sexism experienced by two-thirds of women working in football
• Findings show only 12% of incidents were reported

Two-thirds of women working in football have experienced gender discrimination in the workplace, according to Women in Football’s biggest survey.

In collaboration with Sports Marketing Surveys, questions were sent to the 4,200 members of Women in Football (WiF) and the organisation’s chair, Ebru Köksal, said the results were “heartbreaking and devastating”.

“In this day and age, it’s no longer acceptable,” she said. “Inherent sexism in the game has been continuing for decades.”

The findings were that only 12% of incidents were reported and Köksal said there was “still a lot of fear” of speaking out. “A lot of women have got to where they are on hard work and, a lot of the time, much more merit than their male counterparts and they don’t want to lose that hard-earned position and status,” she said.

WiF’s members are a network of professionals who work in every area of the game, on and off the pitch. The survey showed that when problems were reported they were “brushed under the carpet”, with the most common form of discrimination labelled “banter”.

Janie Frampton, the WiF ambassador and former referee who reached an out-of-court settlement with the Football Association in 2013 after she took the governing body to a tribunal following a dispute over her dismissal, said: “Myself and Wendy Toms were the first two women [referees] that came through the men’s professional game in the 90s.

“Both of us have said so many times since that we probably had too high a tolerance level at the time because we just wanted to fit in. Now, we’ve come on 30 years and we are still experiencing the same issues … Wendy and I were treated as a circus – I don’t want that to still be the case now.”

In response to the findings, WiF is launching a corporate membership scheme to work with governing bodies, clubs and other football stakeholders eradicate the issue. It is also starting a youth council and has expanded its Vikki Orvice directorship scheme (named in honour of the late sports journalist), which provides boardroom experienceto two candidates a year rather than one.

Bringing male allies on board is a key part of the strategy. “Throughout my 30-year career, whether it was in finance or in football, I had some great male allies and supporters who basically protected me from all this banter and chatter and those trying to tackle me,” Köksal said.

In creating a youth council WiF hopes to harness the “different mind-frame” of its younger members. “There’s an opportunity to get some great ideas and also have them reverse mentor us,” Kökal said.

“I would love it if we had to shut down and disappear in 10 years, because there’s no more discrimination, right? That means we’ve done our work really well. So making ourselves obsolete would be the ultimate goal.”

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