Uroš Kovač, "The Precarity of Masculinity: Football, Pentecostalism, and Transnational Aspirations in Cameroon" (Berghahn Books, 2022)
Sep 30, 2024
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Uroš Kovač, a researcher at the University of Groningen, delves into the lives of young Cameroonian footballers exploring aspirations shaped by masculinity and spirituality. He discusses how the quest for football careers intertwines with Pentecostal beliefs, providing hope amidst economic struggle. The harsh realities of migration challenge these dreams, while traditional masculinity is reshaped through spirituality. Kovač sheds light on how these young men navigate their identities, societal expectations, and the precariousness of their aspirations in a globalized world.
Football in Cameroon serves as a vital avenue for young men to pursue migration and higher socio-economic status through sport.
Economic precarity intensified by neoliberal policies drives many young Cameroonians to seek opportunities abroad, particularly through football.
Pentecostal Christianity acts as a transformative influence on young men, allowing them to redefine masculinity and navigate societal pressures.
Deep dives
The Role of Football in Migration Aspirations
Football serves as a critical vehicle for young men in Cameroon pursuing aspirations of migration and better opportunities abroad. Many boys view joining local football academies as a pathway to engage in international travel, with hopes of securing contracts that could ultimately change their socio-economic status. This aspiration is fueled by the history of successful Cameroonian footballers who have made it on global stages, creating a strong desire among the youth to replicate such success. The sport not only embodies dreams of social ascent but also resonates with broader themes of masculinity, honor, and the responsibility to support their families.
Precarity and Economic Challenges
Young men in Cameroon face significant economic precarity, a situation exacerbated by the implementation of neoliberal structural adjustment programs that began in the 1990s. These policies led to high rates of unemployment and a general sense of hopelessness regarding the job market, preventing many from envisioning a stable future in their country. As a result, the search for opportunities abroad becomes not just a dream but a necessity, reinforcing the urgency behind their aspirations in football. This economic precarity thus serves as a backdrop that deepens their motivation for migration and success in sport.
The Interplay of Spirituality and Masculinity
Pentecostal Christianity has gained traction among young Cameroonian footballers, providing them with a source of hope and a framework for constructing an alternative form of masculinity. This spirituality offers both aspirational goals of success as well as an avenue to distance themselves from negative stereotypes often associated with young men in their society, such as idleness or promiscuity. By engaging in prayer and community life, these footballers redefine masculinity through faith, ambition, and a sense of responsibility towards their families. The church emerges as a supportive space where they can navigate the uncertainties of their lives while adhering to a moral framework that challenges dominant perceptions of masculinity.
Navigating Dreams and Realities
Despite the aspirations tied to football and migration, the harsh realities often lead to disillusionment when dreams don't materialize as hoped. Many young men who migrate in search of better opportunities encounter bureaucratic hurdles, exploitative situations, and living conditions that starkly contrast their expectations. For some, the experience abroad can include instability, such as living in precarious housing without adequate support systems. These experiences challenge the previously held beliefs about migration as a path to success, thereby reshaping their understanding of hope and the realities of their existence.
Hope as a Double-Edged Sword
The concept of hope in the context of these young men’s experiences illustrates a complex relationship where it acts both as a motivating force and a potential source of disillusionment. While hope can foster aspirations that encourage action and resilience, it can also become a cruel optimism when linked to unattainable dreams. This duality propels them to pursue football as a means to escape poverty, even as the odds of achieving these dreams remain low. Thus, understanding the nature of hope can provide insights into not only their pursuit of success but also the systemic barriers that perpetuate cycles of precarity in their lives.
A compelling work that explores the lives and aspirations of young footballers with deep nuance and insight, The Precarity of Masculinity: Football, Pentecostalism, and Transnational Aspirations in Cameroon (Berghahn Books, 2022) shows how precarious masculinity, Pentecostal spirituality, and aspirations of prosperous futures are intertwining and interrelated in the everyday lives in Southwest regions of Cameroon.
Since the 1990s, an increasing number of young men in Cameroon have aspired to play football as a career and a strategy to migrate abroad. Migration through the sport promises fulfillment of masculine dreams of sports stardom, as well as opportunities to earn a living that have been hollowed out by the country’s long economic stalemate. The aspiring footballers are increasingly turning to Pentecostal Christianity, which allows them to challenge common tropes of young men as stubborn and promiscuous, while also offering a moral and bodily regime that promises success despite the odds. Yet the transnational sports market is tough and unpredictable: it demands disciplined young bodies and introduces new forms of uncertainty. The book unpacks young Cameroonians’ football dreams, Pentecostal faith, obligations to provide, and desires to migrate to highlight the precarity of masculinity in structurally adjusted Africa and neoliberal capitalism.
Uroš Kovač is a Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Groningen’s Centre for Religion, Conflict, and Globalization. He is a social anthropologist researching gender, migration, religion and development, often through the prism of sports in Africa and Europe.
Yadong Li is a PhD student in anthropology at Tulane University. His research interests lie at the intersection of the anthropology of state, the anthropology of time, hope studies, and post-structuralist philosophy. More details about his scholarship and research interests can be found here.
