The University of British Columbia Okanagan, is now offering Cristiano Ronaldo’s fans a chance to take a course on the Real Madrid forward.
It will be a fourth-year sociology module on the footballer, who has a massive fan base and influence on global society.
“Sociology is nothing if not the delving into the processes of structuring identities and experiences and exposing the social forces that push these processes,” Luis LM Aguiar, associate professor of sociology in UBC Okanagan’s Irving K. Barber School of Arts and Sciences, said.
“In this case, I’m interested in how Ronaldo has been used to construct several discourses about who he is, what makes him distinct as a footballer, what is his relationship to Portugal, Madeira (his hometown) and indeed Portuguese identity.”
The course will last for a semester and students will learn about the stereotypical image of Ronaldo and the Portuguese diaspora.
“Ronaldo is said to embody features and characteristics of speed, strength, competetiveness, dogged work ethic, discipline, and adaptability,” added Aguiar on news.ok.ubc.ca.
“These features are also in a sense ‘very Portuguese’ since the Portuguese outside the homeland are nothing if not constructed as hard workers, disciplined and determined. Even as a global athlete transcending geographical boundaries, Ronaldo cannot escape the stereotypical constructions of ‘the Portuguese’.
“My two greatest passions are football and critical sociology. A course on Cristiano Ronaldo gives me the opportunity to combine the two.
“While I’m an admirer of Ronaldo, I’m also a sociologist interested in understanding the social and economic forces driving the various constructions of this athlete and what this says about our contemporary values and culture.” (Daily post)
