Core Course 2: Prof. Dr. Timm Beichelt
Course description:
The Class “Political Economy of Football” is designed as a core course for the Viadrina Summer University and addresses the question how politics influence football and how football influences politics. In the first dimension, we enquire into the legal framework of football in national and transnational settings. Special attention is devoted to the development stage of football policy in order to carve out intentions of political actors. The growing transnationalisation of football also requires a look at international politics and rules, in particular by the European Union and its restrictions in areas like labour mobility, sponsoring, and gambling. The second dimension of the core course deals with the question if it is possible to have political success by using football as a means of legitimatization. This issue is dealt with in the literature on the instrumentalisation of football. Discussions will take into account different regime types and their relations with football (e.g. democracies, authoritarian regimes). In which forms do politicians try to make use of football? What are the designs of politically motivated club ownerships in Europe? Are there patterns, and is there a potential of success if political leaders try to use a team’s image for their own reputation?
Recommended reading:
- Fanizadeh, Michael / Hödl, Gerald / Manzenreiter (Hrsg.): Global Players – Culture, Ökonomie und Politik des Fußballs. Frankfurt: Brandes & Apsel
- Mittag, Jürgen / Nieland, Jörg-Uwe (Hrsg.), 2007: Das Spiel mit dem Fußball. Interessen, Projektionen und Vereinnahmungen. Essen: Klartext
Course plan and further information (* Texts that are marked with an asterisk will be sent to participants by e-mail.)