Imagined Communities in the Global Game: Football and Dutch National Identity

The article begins by introducing this notion of the Dutch playing soccer the right way. This idea is therefore linked to the feeling of superiority in playing. A style develops. I find it hard to understand how one determines what exactly is a style and on what basis, other than games won, can it be determined that it is the right or better way. However, there is a notable perception of others as inferior. As stated before, the author points to the fact there is a high degree of myth-making in Dutch soccer. I believe this outlook is romanticized.

Historically, romanticization and nationalism have been found in conjunction to one another. It is this pivotal relationship that helped to spark some of the failed revolutions of 1848 and contributed to a nationalist foundation that led to Germany’s and Italy’s unification in the 19th century. To focus on soccer, this perception is a personalization of a passion for a sport in the Netherlands. The writer notes that this is an attempt to give the sport a unique flare.

This trend is unsurprising given a broad look on the Dutch soccer situation. Firstly, the Netherlands is a small nation surrounded by indomitable football powers. Germany is the low countries’ east and France to the west. This nationalistic view over the style of play can be viewed as an attempt to differentiate themselves from their equally crazed neighbors. It importantly provides them with a sense of self. This push to approach football patriotically can be explained, in part, by the globalization of the sport. In an attempt to protect their cultural identity and affiliation with football, as many other nations are beginning or already have done so with their’s, a need arises to give the sport a slight tinge of differentiation from the soccer of those not adorned in orange.

The noteworthy aspect of this athletic distinction is the fact that it is a self-imposed definition. Nationalism is, or at least one aspect of it, a grand comparison whereby one party tries to find a variance that allows it to claim nationhood. Self-affirmation is realized through victories in the sport on the international level. The media plays a role in this galvanization. The sensationalization spreads faster as media forges electronic outlets.

Immigration to the Netherlands has always been a contentious topic, as it is in most European nations. Teams have become ethnically diverse. Globalization has contributed to this change. While becoming more protective of the Dutch style of playing, the Netherlands’ international soccer organizations have been receptive to the variety of players to choose from. Much talent can be found among the Surinamese players leaving South America for the Dutch low lands.

Nationalism and Racism at the EURO 2012 Championship

There are historical rivalries in Europe that often spill onto the soccer field. These very manifested at the Euro Cup to a certain extent. These peaked tension were due in part to the escalating economic situations at that time as well. The PIGS, Portugal, Ireland, Greece, and Spain, were causing political conflagrations within the European Union due to their devastating economic collapses that were in turn affecting the recovery of their fellow unionists.

These tensions, the author argues, deepen the emotionally riveting and de-civilizing aspects of football on occasion. The Hyper-Critical Theory capitalizes on this trend of soccer. I personally find this sociological notion cynical and untrue. I think it magnifies historical instances of prejudice, that have little pertinence to how soccer functions with anti-racism regulations in place, and fails to acknowledge the immense progress that has ameliorated a judgmental past.

To analyze deeper, I believe that the theory is derived from historical precedents, yet is incapable of relinquishing previous tendencies toward minority players that have been nearly eliminated. I do not mean to disregard the intolerance in society. I suggest to recognize those shortcomings in the treatment of others and to use those as a steppingstone on reforming systems.

Racism persists in some on the areas of Eastern Europe. Historically, anti-semitism has been rooted in the culture of this region. Pogroms were carried out frequently during the Russian imperial age and the communist era. These lingerings have yet to been rooted from society entirely. In Russia, growing aversion of homosexuality has led to the criminalization of homosexual activity and the imprisonment of many. The hauntings from a prejudiced past are still present, in some ways. The emerged during the Euro Cup.

Optimistically, the writer rightly takes the position in favor of football as an outlet. I agree with this stance. Football helps to relieve national angst by channeling energy into a safe environment where statues protect against disorder and violence. The key is the maintenance of the inherent human feature of becoming excited. That excitement, precisely, can be channeled positively through wins or negatively through losses.

Quotation

1. “Strictly speaking, as sociologists are wont to do, there is no single Dutch soccer experience: many games played by diverse teams experienced by publics at different times are at best virtually united via an imaginative construction of an ongoing tradition. “

2. “Notwithstanding their supposed indifference to losing, the Dutch seek affirmation of their soccer prowess in their international record. ‘Brilliant orange’ players, clubs, national teams, and coaches have proven themselves in international competition, enhancing the Dutch sense of soccer distinction. “

3. “National group charisma depends on routine forms of interdepen- dence and negotiation of boundaries – ethno-cultural, territorial or political – that distinguish ‘we’ the insiders sharing something in common from ‘them’ the outsid- ers who are different in some respect.”

Questions

1. Is Dutch exceptionalism in football similar to American exceptionalism in that both try to find something unique and credit it to the nation?
2. Is there really a conclusive method to prove what the right way to a sport is when it is so widely played and so many parties have victories to boast of?
3. Is the risk of loosing in the consciousness of football fans at the time the team plays or is it the hope of wining that is at the forefront of people’s minds?