Klaus Seiberth

Zum Topos des "Interkulturellen" in interkulturell gekennzeichneten Konflikten im Sport : eine konflikttheoretische Analyse

Der Begriff ‚interkultureller Konflikt‘ wird nicht nur in Medien und Offentlichkeit, sondern auch in der (sport-)wissenschaftlichen Diskussion zur Bezeichnung von Auseinandersetzungen verwendet, an denen Menschen mit Migrationshintergrund beteiligt sind. Den Konfliktbeteiligten werden dabei Mentalitatsunterschiede attestiert, die haufig mit Verweis auf kulturelle Differenzen erklart werden. Der Beitrag liefert Erklarungen dafur, warum solche Auseinandersetzungen im Sport so selbstverstandlich als ‚interkulturelle‘ Konflikte gekennzeichnet werden. Im Mittelpunkt der konflikttheoretischen Analyse steht die Frage, wie das ‚Interkulturelle‘ zum Topos von Konflikten im Sport wird. Ziel ist es, gangige Annahmen des Diskurses uber interkulturelle Konflikte im Sport kritisch zu hinterfragen. Den theoretischen Rahmen hierfur bildet die systemtheoretische Konfliktsoziologie. The term ‘intercultural conflict’ is used frequently not only in the media and in public discussions but also in the (sports) science discourse. It is notable that the label ‘intercultural’ is typically used in these contexts to describe any kind of dispute, disagreement, or conflict that involves people from immigrant or different ethnic backgrounds. The underlying logic assumes that such conflicts are the result of different mentalities, which are the product of cultural differences. This article will follow a different line of argumentation focusing on the reasons why these conflicts in sports are so persistently labeled as ‘intercultural’ conflicts. We raise the following question: How does the topos of interculturality enter into conflicts in sport? The aim of the article is to critically reflect established assumptions in the discourse about intercultural conflicts in sport. The theoretical framework utilized is systems theory.

Ethnic identity and the choice to play for a national team: a study of junior elite football players with a migrant background

ABSTRACT In German (junior) elite football, there are a comparatively large number of highly talented players with a migrant background. These players were born in Germany and joined the Talent Development Programme of the German Football Association (DFB). Many of these players can decide for which national association they want to play in international games. In media and public discourse, this decision is usually explained by the degree of self-identification with a specific ethnic group. However, this assumption is not empirically evident. Using the example of junior elite players with a Turkish background, this article focuses therefore on the question, which role ethnic identity plays in this decision. Based on social identity theory, we conducted semi-structured interviews with 10 adolescent elite football players with Turkish background who played for the German and/or the Turkish Football Association. Our findings suggest that – in contrast to media narratives – ethnic identity only plays a marginal role in the decision to play for a national football association.