2019 FIFA Women's World Cup

"It was a pleasure to read this comprehensive and insightful work by leading scholars on gender and football about the 2019 Women's World Cup. With discussions from post-colonial lenses of Women of Color, fan appreciation and adoration, to queer relationships and even the legendary statuesque pose by World Champion Megan Rapinoe, this book interrogates the many layers of complexity in an intelligent and generous manner. From an in-depth analysis of media representation, lingering sexism, and complex discussions about racial inequities in the sport, this is a necessary read for journalists, pundits, academics, and fans interested in critical discussions that are embedded into women's football." -- Shireen Ahmed, Writer and award-winning sports activist focusing on Muslim women in sports.

This book examines the most prolific international women's football tournament-the FIFA Women's World Cup-through media, fandom and how mediated women's soccer can improve on a global scale. Women's soccer has exploded in terms of media exposure, television audiences and live spectatorship. This book explores those macro-level issues, while also digging into micro-level topics such as Megan Rapinoe's celebrations and political activism, VAR reviews, LGBTQ imagery, and cultural obstacles for women's football in Central-Eastern Europe and Nigeria. Using an interdisciplinary approach, scholars look at issues through the lenses of feminist theory, cultural studies, rhetorical criticism, political economy, performative sport fandom, autoethnography, and more. Thus, the book is important reading for students, researchers and media practitioners with interests in women's soccer, gender in sports media, coverage of women's sport, and sport fandom.

Molly Yanity is Associate Professor of Journalism at Quinnipiac University, USA.

Danielle Sarver Coombs is Professor in the School of Media and Journalism at Kent State University, USA.

Auteur
Molly Yanity is an associate professor of Journalism, as well as the director of the Sports Journalism and Journalism Master's Degree Programs at Quinnipiac University.
Danielle Sarver Coombs is a professor in the School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Kent State University.

Résumé

This book examines the most prolific international women's football tournamentthe FIFA Women's World Cupthrough media, fandom and how mediated women's soccer can improve on a global scale. Women's soccer has exploded in terms of media exposure, television audiences and live spectatorship. This book explores those macro-level issues, while also digging into micro-level topics such as Megan Rapinoe's celebrations and political activism, VAR reviews, LGBTQ imagery, and cultural obstacles for women's football in Central-Eastern Europe and Nigeria. Using an interdisciplinary approach, scholars look at issues through the lenses of feminist theory, cultural studies, rhetorical criticism, political economy, performative sport fandom, autoethnography, and more. Thus, the book is important reading for students, researchers and media practitioners with interests in women's soccer, gender in sports media, coverage of women's sport, and sport fandom.

Contenu
Introduction and Overview.

News coverage of the U.S. Women's National Team: Reinforcing or negating perpetuated discriminatory standards

Le Moment de Briller? Examining France's media coverage of Les Bleues and the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup France

Utterly ashamed of their behavior: Examining the media coverage of Cameroon vs. England in the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup

Perhaps take back whether everyone likes VAR: An analysis of broadcaster discourse of 2019 World Cup VAR reviews

Images, commentary and narratives made with memes from the 2019 FIFA Women's Women's World Cup

You Come at the Queen, You Best Not Miss: Post-Colonial Representations of the U.S. Women's National Soccer Team During the 2019 World Cup

Megan Rapinoe's Power Pose: Informing and influencing fan performances

O'Hara's kiss: Coming out moment or conventional celebration?

Being there, being here: What critical field methods can tell us about the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup

A (somewhat) accidental sports tourist: Watching the FIFA Women's World Cup tournaments in different countries

Nigerian female football, ambivalence and struggle in the shadows

Rebel, Rebel! How Megan Rapinoe's celebrity activism forges new paths for athletes

Beyond the World Cup: Women's football in Central-Eastern Europe

FIFA's Feminist Foot Soldiers: Case studies on Australia, Aotearoa and who benefits from promoting the Women's World Cup

Concluding Thoughts