Abstract
The establishment of the Western Sydney Wanderers FC (WSW-FC) stands out as one of the most significant events in Australian sporting life over the past two years. However, the exceptional nature of the cohort of supporters associated with this club carries greater cultural and sociological significance; the multicultural cohort of Wanderers supporters, and manly the so-called "Red and Black Block" (RBB) has shown to Australia a totally new and different way of supporting a sports team. From the very beginning of the club, they have embraced it, making the Wanderers their own representative in the mainstream Australian sports scene. Being in a stadium with the RBB is an amazing experience for Australian spectators. Unlike other organized group of supporters, the RBB never stop to dance and sing; they look as if they were born wearing the team's jersey. Building on directions suggested by previous research on fandom in Australia, this study aims to investigate the sport fan socialization process and its cultural and educational ramifications in the Western Sydney region. By using a qualitative ethnographic approach" with face to face interviews, participation in the RBB pre-matches parties and marches, cheering with them on stands, and also interacting with their social media channels, I intend to uncover the special "meanings" associated with the fans' participation. It is expected that several possible "meanings" may emerge; associated, for example, with a sense of place and belonging to Greater Western Sydney (GWS), a view that WSW-FC is their authentic representative in Australian mainstream sports, and the possible emergence of a more ethnically cohesive cosmopolitanism among the fans. (Presented also in Portuguese at non-English sessions "A Day in Spanish and Portuguese". Portuguese title: Criando uma nova cultura : um estudo etnográfico sobre a torcida organizada do Western Sydney Wanderers Futebol Clube.)
| Original language | English |
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| Title of host publication | Contemporary Ethnography Across the Disciplines (CEAD 2014): Sensual Landscapes of Ethnography, 26-28 November 2014, University of Waikato, Hamilton, Aotearoa, NZ |
| Publisher | Contemporary Ethnography Across the Disciplines |
| Pages | 72-72 |
| Number of pages | 1 |
| Publication status | Published - 2014 |
| Event | Contemporary Ethnography Across the Disciplines - Duration: 1 Jan 2014 → … |
Conference
| Conference | Contemporary Ethnography Across the Disciplines |
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| Period | 1/01/14 → … |