The Disconnection Between Mexican Social Studies of Sports and the Anglophone Sociology of Sports: A View From the Mexican Side of the Gap

This article explores the academic gap between Mexican social studies of sport and Anglophone sports sociology. Rather than stemming from theoretical conflict, this disconnect is rooted in distinct disciplinary lineages and systemic global inequalities. While Anglophone sociology often operates through robust methodological empiricism, quantitative metrics, and public policy frameworks, Mexican scholarship on sport has historically emerged from social anthropology. Consequently, Mexican researchers favor localized, qualitative ethnographies focused on how marginalized populations utilize recreational spaces and football fandom for cultural innovation and meaning-making within a weak state and a fragmented society. This scholarly insularity is further exacerbated by structural barriers, including linguistic burdens, global institutional rankings, and the prohibitive costs of academic databases that restrict access to leading international journals. Ultimately, the authors advocate for a balanced, comparative dialogue that leverages the operational strengths of both traditions, promoting international collaboration without letting global epistemic hierarchies swallow regional ethnographic insights.