Nation as a product of resistance: introducing post-foundational discourse analysis in research on ultras’ nationalism

Abstract

ABSTRACT The aim of the paper is to introduce the post-foundational discourse analysis (PDA) in nation studies, in particular, in research on football supporters’ (ultras) national(istic) discourse. The value of the PDA for nation studies lies in its analytical tools, which allow to give visibility to different national(istic) discourses creating meanings of nation and thus to explore how these meanings are created, how they become institutionalized and reproduced in social practices and how they are challenged. The PDA’s specific value for research on ultras’ nationalism lies in its conceptualisation and analytical tools for the study of social change. Considering the findings from different European countries showing that ultras’ nationalism is shaped by their resistance against current mainstream political nationalisms and ideologies expressed by rival ultras groups, the PDA can be a useful tool for empirical studies of the processes that have had an impact on its development.