Embodying the nation: football,¹emotions and the construction of collective identity

Abstract

The article intends to combine contemporary debates about nations and nationalism with a sociological perspective on collective emotions in its attempt to gain a better understanding of the process of constructing national identity. It will further present interdisciplinary evidence that collective emotions evoked in rituals instigate a number of group-related sociocognitive processes that reinforce enduring feelings of belonging and an emotional priming of collective representations. I will suggest that states of “collective effervescence” (Durkheim) do not only tie individuals to a community, but also provide a strong frame for the creation of symbols and the embodiment of shared meanings defining a community. The second part of the article analyzes examples taken from the football media coverage of the FIFA World Cups 2006 and 1974 (both were held in Germany) in order to provide a comparative case study exemplifying the proposed theoretical approach. The sample illuminates some interesting changes that invite further hypotheses about corresponding changes of national identity in a larger context.

Sport-Related National Pride in East and West Germany, 1992-2008

“…1 University of Münster, Germany 2 Justus-Liebig-University Gießen, Germany sport, which is also in stark contrast to the former norm of a reserved and dispassionate consumption of national sporting events (Ismer, 2011).…”

“…Thus, broadcasts of international sport remind people permanently of their nationality. At least in Germany, media coverage of major sports events seems to have shifted from a matter-of-fact style in the 1970s toward a highly emotionalized, patriotic presentation likely to enhance the arousal and identification of TV viewers (Ismer, 2011).…”

‘Team GB’ or ‘Team Scotland’? Media representations of ‘Britishness’ and ‘Scottishness’ at London 2012 and Glasgow 2014

“…Despite Lott (2012) neglecting those 'Britons' in Northern Ireland, the belief that the games represented a 'truly … United Kingdom' was a feeling that was underscored by its 'collective, unitary consciousness' (pg.42). When set against the sense of confusion that pervaded newspaper concerns regarding British identity (Taylor, 2012;Riddell, 2012), the above examples served to remind the British of their sense of unity and purported pride (Dayan and Katz, 1992;Ismer, 2011). In doing so, the Olympic Games served as a potent reminder of 'the capabilities of this odd little island and its people' (Lott, 2012: 42).…”

“…While the above examples serve to highlight how depictions of Britishness were largely curtailed by the ways in which its constitutive nationalisms were afforded adequate attention, a factor which has held a particular point of discord in depictions of 'Britain' (Reicher and Hopkins, 2001), Ismer (2011) has noted how social conflicts within the nation can often lead to a 'growing need for unifying moments' (p.560).…”

“…Here, it was clear that some sections of the press sought to highlight how the Olympic Games provided a 'unifying moment' for Britain (Ismer, 2011), paying particular attention to the shared sense of unity that being British provided the home nations. In reference to the Olympic Games, Parsons (2012a) stated that 'for two weeks, we are not English, Scottish, Welsh or Irish -we are British, and that beautiful old flag belongs to all of us' (pg.14 see also The Guardian, 2012).…”