CARDIFF METROPOLITAN UNIVERSITY Prifysgol Fetropolitan Caerdydd CARDIFF SCHOOL OF SPORT DEGREE OF BACHELOR OF SCIENCE (HONOURS) SPORT STUDIES 2015-6 Diving in football, a social performance. Socio-Cultural George Richard Hunt Cardiff Metropolitan University Prifysgol Fetropolitan Caerdydd Certificate of student By submitting this document, I certify that the whole of this work is the result of my individual effort, that all quotations from books and journals have been acknowledged, and that the word count given below is a true and accurate record of the words contained (omitting contents pages, acknowledgements, indices, tables, figures, plates, reference list and appendices). I further certify that the work was either deemed to not need ethical approval or was entirely within the ethical approval granted under the code entered below. Ethical approval code: Exempt_____________________ (enter code or 'exempt') Word count: 11857 Name: George Hunt Date: 10/3/16 Certificate of Dissertation Supervisor responsible I am satisfied that this work is the result of the student’s own effort and was either deemed to not need ethical approval (as indicated by 'exempt' above) or was entirely within the ethical approval granted under the code entered above. I have received dissertation verification information from this student. Name: Date: Notes: The University owns the right to reprint all or part of this document. Diving in football, a social performance Table of Contents Acknowledgements Abstract CHAPTER 1. 1.0 INTRODUCTION CHAPTER 2. 2.0 LITERATURE REVIEW 2.1 Symbolic Interactionism 2.2 Performance 2.3 Impression Management 2.4 Interaction order CHAPTER 3. 3.0 METHODS 3.1 Research Paradigm 3.2 Sampling strategy 3.3 Data Collection 3.4 Ethics 3.5 Data Analysis 3.6 Judgement Criteria CHAPTER 4. 4.0 DISCUSSION 4.1 Game Theory 4.2 Civil Inattention 4.3 Glance Theory & Face-to-Face behaviours 4.4 Impression Management 4.5 Performance 4.6 Stigma 4.7 Face-to-Face behaviour 4.8 Referees 4.9 Culture 4.10 Hegemonic Masculinity 4.11 Metro sexuality CHAPTER 5. 5.0 CONCLUSION REFERENCES APPENDICES Acknowledgements Firstly, I would like to express my appreciation to my tutor Doc David Brown for the support of my Dissertation study, for his knowledge, patience and motivation. His guidance assisted me throughout the process. I could not have imagined having a better advisor and mentor for my dissertation study. I thank my friends for the ongoing motivation, support and friendship. Finally, I would like to thank my family: My parents and my brother for supporting me throughout the process. Abstract The focal point of this study is to investigate diving in football and draw upon Goffman’s (1959, 1982) symbolic interactionism. Moreover, the study illuminates how football players dive and explore what are the motivations. It is clear that the literature in this topic area is incomplete however, using Goffman’s theories and the existing literature regarding diving, the study is able to piece together the puzzle of diving. The study is motivated by three research questions: (1) How to football players complete an ‘authentic’ dive? (2) What are the motivations to dive? (3) What are the consequences of a dive? In this dissertation, I propose a model of Goffman’s theories including Game theory, Civil inattention, Glance theory, Face-to-Face behaviours, impression management and performance to expose the process of a dive. In addition, stigma and referees will be carefully examined to gain an insight to the repercussions of diving. Finally, masculinity will be explored to identify the relationship with diving. An interpretive method approach was used to obtain the information needed.The results revealed that diving is a complex series of process and there is substantial evidence to report that the diving process is not fully individual; it incorporates referees, who play a vital role in the social interaction. This study advances our understanding of the diving process and offers a unique insight in how it is conducted. 1.0 Introduction Reily and Williams (2003) state “Football is the world’s most popular form of sport, being played in every nation without exception”. Football, too many is more than simply a game as Kuper (2010) suggests “Soccer is much more than just the most popular game in the world. It is a matter of life and death”. Football is vastly important to our daily lives by and is entertaining however, like all sports, football has elements of cheating/gamesmanship and one of these is diving. The paper explores diving an aims to understand why players dive and how they conduct a dive. The study consults scholars, pundits and current football players to understand the enigma that is diving. Diving in football is worthy of philosophical scrutiny and to investigate further as it can influence the outcome of matches, reproduce negative connotations and resit moral obligations. It is best summarised by FIFA vice president Jim Boyce, who states "It's becoming a cancer within the game”. This language used by many to describe the antics on the pitch, highlight the need to investigate this topic. Trevor Sinclair and Watson respectively states "A player has a right to go down; football is not this Walt Disney world a lot of people think it is." And "It's not Diego Maradona handballing the ball into the net. It's still the referee's decision at the end of the day; he doesn't have to give a penalty." This paper aims to differentiate the cartoon fiction of diving, and illustrate factual findings. The study reviews symbolic interactionism to gain an understanding of diving. Symbolic interaction was chosen to highlight the interaction between individuals as social actors to explain diving. Fine (1993) states Symbolic interactionism, encourages us to think theoretically to situations and to analyse why individuals act in certain ways. The study will use a documentary analysis to gather the necessary literature and material in order to answer the research question. To conclude the study, the analysis and conclusion will weigh up the information collected and provide an explanation and clearly present how players dive, and get away with it. Whitehead (1998, 58; 2002, 93) sums up why masculinity should be included when discussing tensions within sexuality by suggesting there is confusion over who actually is a hegemonically masculine man—“Is it John Wayne or Leonardo DiCaprio; Mike Tyson or Pele? Or maybe, at different times, all of them?” This shows, and reflects, that both diving and masculinity has elements of ambiguity which is central to the study. To commence this paper, the literature review will be consulted. 2.0 Literature review Consulting the existing literature, it is clear that symbolic interactionism and masculinity are topics that are frequently used to study sport in society. However, it is evident that the literature regarding social performance of diving is incomplete. As a result, this project will consult media data and historical records in which will be analysed through a conceptual lense. Diving in football deserves sociological scrutiny as it is an under studied phenomenon, which has caused outrage, annoyance by many from the sporting community and also challenges morality. Firstly, this literature review discusses Symbolic interactionalism and its core ideas of ‘performance’ and the ‘interaction order’. Secondly, the literature surrounding masculinity and its applications to and in sport will be examined. 2.1 Symbolic Interactionism Dewey (1981) states humans are best understood in comparison to their environment. Mead (1934) links “the conservation of gestures” and “the use of significant symbols” to symbolic interactionism. He suggests people respond to gestures and interaction through what it means to them. Symbolic interactionism according to Blumer (1962:180) “refers, of course, to the peculiar and distinctive character of interaction as it takes place between human beings”. He adds that human beings “define” each other’s actions as opposed to reacting to their action. Symbolic interaction identifies that individuals are ‘social actors’ and act in a specific manner or behaviour, which has been influenced by their background, environment and their moral compass. Therefore, Symbolic interactionism is a tool to understand social performance and individual behaviour. This study will primarily use Goffman’s theory of symbolic interactionism and his theory of social performance to address the research question. Goffman (1983) is interested in the “interaction order” and “social order”. Larossa and Reitzes (1993) point out that “symbolic interactionalism focuses on the connection between shared meanings and interactions” (p.135). Furthermore, Denzin (cited in Flick et.al 2004, p.82) states symbolic interactionism is the, Analysis of the development course of action that occurs when two or more persons (or agents) with agency (reflectivity) join their individual lines of action together into joint action It portrays that interaction with others become intertwined and individuals respond to interaction of each other. When a dive occurs, the players involved are acting under the constraints of the game, therefore adjust their social interaction accordingly. Blumer (1969) points out “Human beings in interacting with one another have to take account of what each other is doing or is about to do; they are forced to direct their own conduct or handle their situations in terms of what they take into account (p.6). Before, during and after a dive, the interaction between the individuals depends on the motives and reactions of themselves. The individuals adjust their reaction in what they believe the individual intended to achieve. Blumer (1969) states “The actions of others enter to set what one plans to do, may oppose or prevent such plans, may require revision of such plans” (p.6). The interaction between players on the field influence decision making and thought process which could change social interactions verbally, physically and cognitively.