Jogo Bonito? Investigating the Extent of Racial Bias in Sports Commentary of Domestic Football in Brazil

Abstract

This thesis examines the extent of racial bias in football commentary in Brazilian Domestic Football. Football has often been presented as a game of inclusivity and acceptance, but many papers and studies have exposed numerous problems that plague the sport. Most notably, studies have exposed the role of commentators in perpetuating racial bias. This thesis performs a similar study, using the Campeonato Brasileiro Série A as a case study. Segments from 12 different games were transcribed, coded and analysed to determine how commentators referred to players of different racial groups. The data shows that: Dark-Skinned Black (DSB) footballers received a significantly higher proportion of negative comments while Light-Skinned Black (LSB) footballers received a significantly higher proportion of positive comments; commentators were significantly more likely to refer to a player’s physical ability when speaking about DSB players; DSB players were significantly less likely to receive comments about their overall quality, while LSB were significantly more likely to receive comments about their overall quality. The results are consistent with the research and context of the intersection between race and football in Brazil. DSB players are viewed negatively and as physical because of systemic racism that stems from slavery, and LSB players are viewed as superior because of views and policies that stem from the mid-20th century post-abolishment idealisation of mixed-race people propagated by Gilberto Freyre and Getúlio Vargas.

Keywords: football, racism, racial bias, systemic racism, commentary, Brazil, mulatto, brute caricature, Campeonato Brasileiro Série A, Brasileirão, Gilberto Freyre, Apollo, Dionysus, social Darwinism, racial miscegenation, Getúlio Vargas, brasilidade