Between solar and lunar hero: a cartographic study of Brazilian Olympic athletes in the social imaginary

Autori

  • Katia Rubio <p>School of Physical Education and Sport </p> <p>University of São Paulo, Brazil (USP)</p>
  • Rafael Veloso <p>School of Physical Education and Sport </p> <p>University of São Paulo, Brazil (USP)</p>
  • Lucia Leao <p>Post-Graduate Program of Semiotics and Communication Studies</p> <p>Pontifical Catholic University of São Paulo, Brazil (COS-PUC/SP)</p>

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.7413/22818138118

Parole chiave:

Social imaginary, Hero, Sport, Cartography, Brazil

Abstract

Sport, understood as a social phenomenon and object of research, brings together the efforts of the most diverse fields of academic knowledge production. In the present paper, we propose a cartographic study of the images that are present in the biographical narratives of four Brazilian Olympic athletes, exploring their interconnections, subtleness and ambiguities. We defend that the study of the images of the nocturnal heroes, normally placed in the background by media processes, can act as important amplifier for the understanding of the complexities that constitutes the social imaginary of the sport phenomenon. Our argument is that, in their trajectories, these athletes manifest solar, lunar and “in between” hero experiences. The theoretical framework connects three previous studies: the research on the theme of the nocturnal hero; Rubio’s investigation on “Brazilian Olympic Heroes”; and the cartographic method for the investigation on the processes of image and imaginaries’ creation proposed by Leao.

Dowloads

Pubblicato

2018-07-31

Fascicolo

N. 11 (2018): The Sports Heroes in the Social Imaginary

Sezione

Topic

Licenza

Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:
  • Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
  • Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.
  • Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (See The Effect of Open Access).