Football Fandom, Protest and Democracy

Football Fandom, Protest and Democracy offers an in-depth and inside approach to the socio-political history of football in Turkey, where fandom is often revered as part of the national identity, presenting the historical context for football events in the country. Based on original research, the book explores the complex political processes at play in modern Turkey and deepens our understanding of fandom, fan activism and protest movements, questioning all presuppositions about the society and football fandom in Turkey. In particular, it examines the role of football fans in the pro-democracy Gezi Protests of 2013, the history of football in Turkey, the sociology of middle-classes and the transformation of football in the country. Interdisciplinary in nature, this book is a valuable resource for scholars and students of sports sociology, popular culture studies, Turkish studies and media studies.

Daghan Irak is Lecturer-Researcher at Aix-Marseille University, France teaching Geopolitics, History, Media and Popular Culture. He is also Research Fellow at the MédiaLab of Sciences Po Paris, France. He previously worked as a live Commentator for Eurosport TV channel.

Introduction, 1. A Socio-Historical Context of Football in Turkey, 2. Football in the Ottoman Empire, 3. Football in the New Republic of Turkey (1923-1960), 4. A New Political Paradigm (1960-1980), 5. Hyper-Commodification of Football in Turkey, 6. Football During the AKP Period (2002 - ...), 7. Gezi Matters, 8. Virtually Among the Fans, Conclusion