Homosexuality in Football Essay

Chapter One: Introduction: Addressing Homophobia in Football * Introduction should just give a brief idea of what work is going to be about so not much detail * Outline your argument – footballers affect society so a lack of homosexual players is also bound to affect the way it is portrayed * Talk about the problems surrounding football – i.e. racism, sexism. What is different about homophobia? * Why is homophobia a problem in football? Why is it taboo? * Talk about programmes enforced to help combat it; i.e. just mention Stonewall, different programmes etc * Outline the different chapters you will be writing in the diss: i.e. I will be looking at (describe chapter 2) Only needs to be a page long, maybe a little longer. Basically outline your argument and refer back to your question, mention problems in football – why homophobia is taboo / big problem, talk about programmes (briefly) and then outline what you’ll be talking about in each chapter. FINALLY sa y at the end what you hope to conclude – i.e. homophobia is a big problem, it does affect society, what can be done? I intend to explore homosexuality within the footballing world, and how, if at all, its representative’s views on it affect those of societies. Football is Britain’s national sport, engrained into every aspect of our culture, and as such players are role models that transcend all classes, colours and creeds; so why do such a minute percentage feel it is a safe environment in which to be openly homosexual? Are the individuals involved simply inherently homophobic, or are there more deep-rooted explanations? I will be looking in chapter two at masculinity and where homosexuality lies within it, focusing particularly on the theories surrounding footballs role in reproducing a hegemonic masculine environment. Over the last 20-30 years it has become more fashionable to explore the varying moulds of masculinity, and I will observe footballs relationship with these developments. The differences on and off the pitch are also of relevance, and can be scrutinised easily due to th e massive interest in, and thus coverage of, footballing culture. Chapter three explores possible reasons behind the lack of openly homosexual professional footballers today and throughout history, primarily using player interviews and concentrating on the case of Justin Fashanu, the first professional British player to reveal their homosexuality to the public. I will also discuss the issue as an international problem, which is not isolated to Britain and the Premier League. Finally, an evaluation of footballers as role models in our culture at present forms the basis of chapter four – how exactly do their views affect society’s’? ADD IN WHEN WRITTEN CHAPTER The industry has managed to overcome various other serious issues, such as racism and sexism, so what is it doing to combat homophobia? Since many efforts by the F.A. to address homophobia have been deemed superficial, does the F.A. even consider it as serious a problem as the aforementioned problems? The Stonewall organisation in particular has completed extensive research into the issues surrounding homophobia in football, interviewing players and fans alike, and even setting up the first gay football club. How successful has this been in drawing attention to the problem so clearly rife in the modern game, and what else can be done to encourage the changes so desperately required to come into fruition? I hope to discover through my research the extent to which homophobia runs in football, and by whom it is considered a problem. I am also intrigued to see how the public perceive the current situation, and how it alongside general footballing culture has influenced them, if at all.