The Social Fanatism ("barrismo") of Hinchas por Manizales. A political and citizenry practice

Abstract

In the middle of the violent environment that generally surrounds the football-soccer fanatical team supporters, it emerges "Fans for Manizales": a juvenile initiative oriented to transform the stereotyped concept that society and young people have about the ultras (as a sort of "hooligans"), so they can promote the change of their practices. This article presents the results of an ethnographic-hermeneutic study, which had as objective to understand the processes and trajectories followed for the configuration of the political and citizenry practices of that group. Particularly, those related to the internal dynamics of the group and to the relationships they establish with the others; and how these two factors become stimulators of the collective action.