Third Year Dissertation Project

[Euan]

Football Research Project
I am involved in a Research Project in the Sociology Department at the University of Leicester. John Williams is my supervisor. I am trying to get responses from football supporters on three key questions.


1. Have you noticed a decline in overt racism at football grounds, perhaps due to factors like better policing and stewarding and the rise of social media where racism is more anonymous?

2. Do you think the anonymity offered on social media is contributing to spreading abuse? Do you have examples you can point to?
.
3. Do you believe social media companies do enough to combat racism connected to football online? Is the lack of regulation and policing in these new spheres part of the problem?

Thanks for your response. Your answers will be used anonymously to illustrate our study. Your reply will be taken to provide consent.

[Cjay]

Bump.

Will leave better informed people to answer number 1.

2) Yes I think social media gives people the confidence to say things they would never say face to face. You just need to look online for examples. A few years ago someone who was a boxer I think actually tracked down someone who had given them abuse online and the abuser couldn't have been nicer face to face apparently, says it all.

3) I don't really use social media so can't really comment unfortunately, I suspect not.

[Mountain]

I think you have to distinguish social media and anonymous social media. I find platforms like Facebook fine, where people have to own their comments they are far more likely to be diplomatic. Where people think they are anonymous, you get far more racism, homophobia, transphobia, objectification of women, xenophobia, sectarianism etc

Here's a good example from the football world. And a bad decision...

https://www.irishexaminer.com/news/cour ... 19691.html