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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. 



All are welcome to attend this free seminar, which will be held online via Zoom at 17:00 GMT (UK time). You will need to register in advance to receive the online joining link. Please click on the Book Now button at the top of the page to register.

Programme 2024/25
Autumn Term
24 October
21 November
11 December

Winter Term
23 January
20 February
20 March


The Latin American and Caribbean Ethnography Seminar (LACES) is a forum in which scholars who conduct ethnographic research in Latin America and the Caribbean can present their work and get feedback in a collaborative environment, as well as build connections between researchers and departments.  
 
The Seminar is currently hosted by the ILCS Centre for Latin American and Caribbean Studies (CLACS) at the School of Advanced Study, University of London, in collaboration with the Centre for Research on Latin America and the Caribbean (CRoLAC) at Queen Mary University of London (QMUL), the Centre for Citizenship, Civil Society and the Rule of Law (CISRUL) at the University of Aberdeen and the Institute of Literature, Language and Anthropology at the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC).  

It is convened by Jessica Sklair (QMUL), Denisse Román-Burgos (CSIC & University of Aberdeen) and Ainhoa Montoya (SAS & CSIC). 


Please consider supporting CLACS's mission to train the next generation of scholars in Latin American and Caribbean Studies: https://ilcs.sas.ac.uk/research-centres/centre-latin-american-caribbean-studies-clacs/support-clacs