Masculinities Football, Polo and the Tango in Argentina

by Archetti, Eduardo P.

• ISBN13: 9781859732618
• ISBN10: 1859732615
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 1999-03-01
• Publisher: Berg Pub Ltd

Summary

The complex relationship between nationalism and masculinity has been explored both historically and sociologically with one consistent conclusion: male concepts of courage and virility are at the core of nationalism. In this ground-breaking book, the author questions this assumption and advances the debate through an empirical analysis of masculinity in the revealing contexts of same-sex (football and polo) and cross-sex (tango) relations. Because of its rich history, Argentina provides the ideal setting in which to study the intersection of masculine and national constructs: hybridization, creolization and a culture of performance have all informed both gender and national identities. Further, the author argues that, counter to claims made by globalization theorists, the importance of performance to Argentinian men and women has a long history and has powerfully shaped the national psyche.But this book takes the analysis far beyond national boundaries to address general arguments in anthropology which are not culture-specific, and the discussion poses important comparative questions and addresses central theoretical issues, from the interplay of morality and ritual, to a comparison between the popular and the aristocratic, to the importance of 'othering' in national constructions - particularly those relating to sport.This book represents a major contribution, not only to anthropology, but to the study of gender, nationalism and culture in its broadest sense.

Author Biography

Eduardo P. Archetti is a Professor of Social Anthropology, at the University of Oslo.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements	ix	(2)
Prologue	xi
Introduction: Frameworks and Perspectives	1	(20)
PART I Hybridization	21	(90)
CHAPTER ONE Situating Hybridity and Hybrids	23	(23)
CHAPTER TWO Male Hybrids in the World of Football	46	(31)
CHAPTER THREE Hybridization and Male Hybrids in the World of Polo	77	(34)
PART II Masculine Moralities	111	(79)
CHAPTER FOUR Locating Masculinities and Moralities	113	(15)
CHAPTER FIVE Masculinities and Morality in the Poetics of the Argentinian Tango	128	(33)
CHAPTER SIX Masculine National Virtues and Moralities in Football	161	(19)
CHAPTER SEVEN The Masculine Imagery of Freedom: the World of Pibes and Maradona	180	(10)
Epilogue	190	(4)
Bibliography	194	(14)
Index	208