Racism in professional Maltese football : a sociological perspective

Abstract

Racism has a very strong presence in society. This presence inserts itself into every aspect of society, including sport, and, more specifically, in football. The aim of this research is to find out if the players perceive that they are treated according to their race; and what type(s) of racism are found the most among the foreign and non-white Maltese players. Theories, such as functionalism and the conflict perspective are used in order to explain racism from a sociological perspective. Functionalism and Marxism explain racism from a macro approach. Functionalism perceives racism as a functional tool which helps the majority group dominate society. The Conflict perspective reflects on the altercations which take place between the majority and minority groups and explains the altercations via certain economic and social policies. There are three types of racism which can be found in football, which are: impulsive, instrumental, and institutional. The methodology used in this dissertation is qualitative in nature. Players who fell under the category of non-white Maltese; white foreign; and non-white foreign were contacted and semi-structured interviews were conducted with those players who accepted. A total of six interviews were conducted. The players were asked numerous questions regarding the general presence of racism in Maltese football and questions regarding their own personal experiences. Thematic analysis was used in order to analyse the interviews produced. Six themes were produced. These six themes are: denial; acceptance; awareness; time; education; and mentality. The themes found are all linked. Sociological theory and literature were used in order to understand and explain these themes. The overall result shows that a low level of awareness results in a low level of education. A low level of Education leads to a low Acceptance rate and a weak Mentality. These two factors lead to a high level of Denial. These themes are all dependent factors which can change over Time, which in this case is an independent factor. The concluding pages reveal that racism’s presence in Maltese football is conditional since the use of racism depends on the overall performance of the players and how long they have been living in Malta. The players’ perception is also conditional because, currently they do not perceive that they are treated in terms of their race. However, past examples show that they did. Perception changes throughout time. Lastly, institutional and instrumental racism are the types of racism which are found the most but these aspects are also conditional.