Soft Hooligans : den nya mjuka supporten och motståndet mot hegemonisk maskulinitet på läktarna

Sammanfattning: This study examines the case of Soft Hooligans and their significance in the supporter culture. The study aims to highlight the patriarchal structures exemplified by football stands and how Soft Hooligans dismantle these structures. The study is based on a qualitative case-study, using the multimodal analysis method and drawing upon theories of feminization of sports fans, masculinity, fan culture, participatory culture and social rituals. The empirical material primarily consists of media from Soft Hooligans Facebook group, but also includes articles from Swedish newspapers. We ask the questions who they are and what they represent, what social rituals they exercise and the significance of social media for these rituals, and how we may understand the resistance they encounter from other supporters. The analysis concludes that Soft Hooligans could be interpreted to represent a shift in the supporterculture to a softer, warmer and more welcoming culture. The analysis also concludes that Facebook plays a crucial role in Soft Hooligans practices as well as for their fan culture. Lastly, the study also concludes that Soft Hooligans could be interpreted as a threat to the masculinity of sports culture and the resistance may thus be an attempt to maintain dominance.