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Sports governing bodies, governments and European institutions highlight the inclusive power of sport and its capacity to foster a sense of belonging among youth of immigrant background. At the same time, sport at youth and grassroots level can be as much an exclusionary as an inclusive experience. As a country of relatively short immigration history and with a great passion for sport, particularly football, Italy makes a compelling case on which to situate an analysis of sport participation of youth of immigrant background and issues of representation in relation to national identity. The book originates from 40 in-depth interviews with young players aged seventeen to twenty-three, born in Italy to immigrant parents or raised in Italy since their childhood. It further collates over thirty interviews and conversations with coaches, club and league administrators, educators, and migrants' rights activists. Analysis of official documents and media analysis further contribute to the construction of a specific body of knowledge which sheds an unprecedented light on issues which are at the forefront of policy discussions and media discourses across Europe.
List of contents
Introduction - Football, Social Inclusion and Belonging. Mapping the Ground - Football, Immigration and Italian Society - Inclusive Leisure or Institutional Discrimination? - Challenges and (Missing) Opportunities - Learning to cope with Racism - The Meanings of Belonging - Sporting Citizenship or Impaired Citizenship? - Conclusion: Football and its Discontents.
About the author
Max Mauro is a writer and a lecturer focusing mainly on migrants¿ rights, youth studies and sport. He is associate lecturer in Sport Studies at Southampton Solent University and associate lecturer in Youth Studies at the Open University.
Report
«[...] this book is a welcome introduction to contemporary Italian football organization, and will be relevant for scholars studying (anti-)discrimination and migration in European sport as well as readers interested in the Italian situation.»
(Georg Spitaler, Soccer & Society Vol. 18, No. 7 2017)
«The Balotelli Generation: Issues of inclusion and belonging in Italian football is a well written, informative and, most of all, important book. Max Mauro delivers a significant contribution to the body of literature concerning both inclusion/exclusion and racism but also regarding governance as it provides vital guidelines for how football's governing bodies should work with "authentic" inclusion.»
(Mattias Melkersson, idrottsforum.org January 26, 2018)
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