Community Benefits and Impacts: Room 6
From the Land of Football to the Land of Mega-events: Brazilian Stadiums Modernization from the Perspective of the Football Organized Supporters from São Paulo
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Bernardo Buarque De Hollanda
This paper aims at evaluating the so-called “legacy” of the 2014 FIFA World Cup, analyzing the period after the World Cup in Brazil. The study investigates the developments of the relationship between the new arenas and and fans, particularly the groups called “organized supporters.” We first describe all architectural and infrastructural transformations made for the World Cup; then, we review the literature concerning uses and occupations of the new stadiums by the supporters; lastly, we present a survey applied after the World Cup to supporters from São Paulo. This survey made possible to identify positive and negative aspects mentioned by the users of sports facilities, with a distinction between modernization of stadiums to comply with FIFA standards and their utility a posteriori, especially for the so called “celebration” in the stands – banners, flags, songs and choreographies – during state and national championships. In light of “football-clubbism” – a way of supporting a club, which differs from the way of supporting the national team –, we concluded with a heterogeneous and different point of view as presented by members of the “organized supporters.” The analysis of statistical data allows detecting advantages and disadvantages to the “supporter culture,” in what is called conventionally the football legacy of the World Cup for Brazil.
From Half-marathon to Triathlon: Sports Participation as a Reflection of Post-materialism Processes in Polish Society
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Joanna Poczta
In Poland, running and participation in mass running events such as marathons and half marathons have become popular in the 90s. and fulfills a number of factors, including enabling people to build a sense of connection and integration with other people, sporting community, becoming a postmodern form of participation in social life. Now, we observe a new trend, which is mass triathlon participation, the transformation between the need to invoke strong emotions and seek them in more difficult sports disciplines and travel to participate in the event. This project examines the relationship between cultural change processes and the practice of running and the practice of triathlon in Poland. The main goal of the research is to show that the socio-cultural tendency that made the development and growth in mass sporting events participation in Poland possible has been influenced by two general trends. The first is the spread of post-materialist values that have an influence on a change in the prevailing cultural tendencies. The second is the massive increase of individualization processes, where beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors of individuals are increasingly based on personal decisions and depend less on tradition and social institutions. The presented work is based on the literature review which shows: changes in active participation in sporting life in Poland. People participate in sporting events not only for physical activity but also for socio-psychological effects. The experienced runners need comprehensive physical activity and experience strong emotions, which are at the top of the hierarchy of post-modern human needs.
