Women in the Chilean National Identity: How Fútbol and Consumption Cultures Affect the Public Sphere

Carpenter, Madeleine Hall (2018) Women in the Chilean National Identity: How Fútbol and Consumption Cultures Affect the Public Sphere. Undergraduate thesis, under the direction of Kate Centellas from Sociology & Anthropology, University of Mississippi.

Preview

Text Carpenter Thesis.pdf Download (774kB) | Preview

Abstract

In the past thirty years, Chile has experienced dramatic political, social, economic, and cultural changes. A constant source of national identity, pride, and comfort through this tumultuous period was (and continues to be) fútbol. Chileans follow the sport relentlessly and it is a key part in the construction of local, regional, and national identities. My thesis work aims to answer the following question: how do the relationships between consumption cultures and football create/delineate/eliminate space for women in the overarching social public sphere of national belonging? In order to answer this question, I utilize a mixed methods approach to investigate how the sport combines with consumption cultures to impact the place women hold in the public sphere. I apply a theoretical framework built upon prevalent scholarship in investigations and theories of gender, sport, national identity, and consumption to analyze how women are affected by the relationships between these social forces. The results ultimately point to the conclusion that although Chile has been and continues to change, persistent practices around sport and celebration make it difficult for women to engage in these important elements of daily life. A deeper understanding of this topic will foster conversations on how the national narrative can simultaneously include contradictions of social equality in the public sphere and how addressing these inequalities will lead to greater female empowerment in Chile.

Actions (login required)

View Item