”Fotboll är bara en världslig sak, det betyder inget för evigheten” Religionsvetenskapliga perspektiv på fotbollsintresse

Abstract

This qualitative study examines if an interest in soccer can give the same meaningful experiences in a person's life as a religion would. Five soccer fans were interviewed regarding the meanings and impact of soccer in their lives. Two theories in the fields of sport and religion were used to analyze the data: Antonovsky's sense of coherence (SOC) with its components meaningfulness, manageability and comprehensibility and Heelas and Woodheads "life-as" and "the subjective-life” derived from the concept "the subjective turn". It was concluded that the interest in soccer affected the respondents’ views of life. The respondents’ personal identities were strongly associated with group membership, meaning that their interest in common with others was perceived to make everyday life meaningful and manageable. It was also concluded that an interest in soccer, like religion, could fulfil certain functions in a person's life but not answer questions about, for example, life after death or the existence of God. The study is based on an educational point of view and discusses the implications the study may have on learning situations.