Female Futebol Players Juggling Roles and Creating Space in Brazil
A Gender Institute Research Seminar
Presenters: Caitlin Fisher and Adrienne Grunwald
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Monday 16 May 2011
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3.30-5.00pm
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B519 (Gender Institute Open Space)
Open to all - no booking required.
Abstract
Futebol has long been considered Brazil's most popular sport, and around the world Brazil is regarded as 'futebol country', but these labels have referred solely to the men's game. Historically the sport has been defined by machismo and regarded as a vehicle through which masculinity is tried and tested. Because of the legacy of men's futebol in Brazil, female futebol players have continuously struggled to gain acceptance; amidst a climate of cultural disapproval, female players' femininity and sexual orientation have been regularly called into question. These female players have not only represented a threat to Brazilian masculinity, but have also been perceived as encroaching in a disgraceful manner on one of the nation's primary sources of pride and collective identity.
Recently a shift has begun to unfold wherein the women's game is beginning to occupy a much more valued position within Brazilian culture—a shift that appears to be occurring hand-in-hand with Brazil's emergence in the global economy. Female players are stepping onto the field, carving a space for themselves and enjoying increased media attention, filled stadiums, improved facilities, higher salaries and the likes—and for some female players, their individual struggles have been eased. This movement is arguably loosening the grips of machismo, contributing to the deconstruction of traditional gender roles, and serving as a strong source of empowerment. A traditionally male realm appears to be opening up and creating space for new voices.
However, we must be cautious about deeming this move a definitive step towards gender equality. Not only is there is still a very long way to go for women's futebol in Brazil, but these shifts also bring with them new contradictions, tensions and ambiguities—potentially representing something other than a step 'forward'. Although popular support is growing for Brazilian women's futebol, and female players seldom face the same prejudice and disapproval they once did, these women now appear to be confronted with a new version of cultural constraint in the form of socialised femininity. The game's improved popular image increasingly depends on the gendered performances of female players who are now expected to wear slim-fit uniforms, grow their hair long, wear make-up on the pitch, and put skirts on after the game. Pressure is being placed on players to uphold this image in order to be considered 'acceptable'.
In turn, upon closer examination it becomes evident that the version of women's futebol in Brazil gaining mainstream attention today is not the same version that was heavily stigmatised just ten years ago; although the rules are the same, the image is new. The women's game today is being reframed in a hyper-feminine, heteronormative light. While many of these female players are moving into new roles and experiencing new forms of empowerment, older gender ideologies seem to be persisting and negating some of the movement's liberating effects. Where once women's futebol had the potential to serve as a site for resistance and a vehicle through which conventional notions of femininity and heteronormativity could be challenged, currently it is being stripped of its transformative potential through its alignment with traditional norms.
The Guerreiras project explores how female players are navigating these new tensions by following the lives of forty professional female futebol players in Brazil who wear the uniform of one of the greatest and most renowned male clubs of all time––Santos Futebol Clube. We attempt to delve under the surface and raise questions around the significance of empowerment, possibilities for resistance, athletic femininities and the regulation of bodies. We look at how some of these issues link to theme of 'nation' and Brazil's role in the global economy. Ultimately, we aim to encourage dialogue around the meaning of privilege, justice and change—an understanding that can be applied to countless other realms. These are the guerreiras of Santos F.C., and this is their story.
(Currently in the early stages of our project, we are setting up a series of workshops to explore the future of the project and challenge our own relationship to it. We are using multi-media as our platform, combining audio interviews, writing, ambient sounds and still imagery. There are many complex and sensitive issues that we touch upon around sexuality, religion, privilege, and gender, and with which we are wrestling. We want to better understand how to frame and discuss these topics in a manner that encourages a critical eye, while building on the positive momentum around women's futebol worldwide.)
Biographies
Caitlin Fisher is a writer, activist and professional soccer player.She is currently based between Brazil and London pursuing a multimedia project with photographer Adrienne Grunwald on gender, globalisation and women's soccer in Brazil. Caitlin received her Bachelors with Honors in Biological Anthropology from Harvard University in 2004. Upon graduation, she spent several years playing professional soccer in Brazil and Sweden while simultaneously carrying out anthropological research on women's soccer for FIFA. She then worked in New York City at the Global Business Coalition on HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (GBC) before joining the Nike Foundation and contributing to launch of the Girl Effect. She graduated from the London School of Economics (LSE) with a Masters degree in Gender, Development and Globalization in 2010 and will be continuing her research in Brazil this coming year on a Fulbright scholarship.
Adrienne Grunwald is a New York-based documentary photographer with interests in social anthropology, international development and gender studies. She received her BA with Honors in English Literature from Lehigh University in 2004. She most recently graduated from the Documentary Photography and Photojournalism program at the International Center of Photography in New York where she was awarded the Henry Margolis Foundation and Josephine Lyons Merit Scholarship. She spent this past fall down in Brazil working on the 'Guerreiras' photo documentary project with Caitlin Fisher. Prior to pursuing a career in photography, Adrienne worked in a range of fields including strategic marketing for the NBA, equity research and public relations