Fotbollskultur - mer än bara våld och fylla? : En kvalitativ intervjustudie om gemenskap hos fotbollssupportrar

Football is the world’s largest sport, attracting a vast number of supporters globally. Supporter culture is often portrayed in a negative light, and therefore the aim of this study is to explore the positive dimensions of supporters' sense of community. Key research questions include: how people become socialized into the football community, what meaning this community provides in the lives of supporters, and how women are included in the supporter community. Previous research on becoming a supporter and the connection between football, place, and identity has shown a strong sense of community within football, and that football is often closely tied to the local area. This study is based on semi-structured interviews with supporters of Degerfors IF. The study concludes that most participants were introduced to football culture at an early age, and that the sense of community within football is of great importance to the supporters. The study also shows that the connection between football, the town, and its residents is strong and contributes to local football engagement.