Women's football clubs as specific "societal universe" to girls soccer players in Senegal (7256)

Etat
Terminée
Début / Fin
01.01.2016 - 31.12.2017
Domaine(s) d'expertise
Migrations, citoyenneté, interculturalité
Sociologie, anthropologie
Sports et loisirs
Sources de financement
Swiss-African Research Cooperation (SARECO)
Requérant·e·s
Malatesta Dominique (HETSL)
Collaboration de
Mendy Angèle Flora (HETSL)

Description

The invisibility of women' sport in Senegalese society bears enormous harm to many women' sports clubs seeking to grow. The reasons of this marginalization are deeply rooted in social practices and culture beliefs namely, the "gendered" perception of football in general, anthropological and socio-cultural realities as well as political and economic ones. Yet, despite the lack of support from many parents, the role of these football clubs goes beyond the only objectives related to sports competitions and the production of a national elite. Women' clubs as institutions also position themselves as places of blooming, thus promoting collective interaction, affirmation and self-construction for young girls. Football clubs for girls in Senegal represent a societal universe, a "small society" governed by specific rules of living together, where girls share a certain vision of the social world. This societal universe is also the place of confrontation with established standards which shape not only football but also Senegalese society. The main objective of this research project is to lay the premises of a sociological reflection on women's football clubs in Senegal by taking the case study of three female soccer clubs in St. Louis and Dakar.