Temples of the Earthbound Gods: Stadiums in the Cultural Landscapes of Rio de Janeiro and Buenos Aires

by Christopher Thomas Gaffney

Overview

In Rio de Janeiro, the spiritual home of world football, and Buenos Aires, where a popular soccer club president was recently elected mayor, the game is an integral part of national identity. Using the football stadium as an illuminating cultural lens, Temples of the Earthbound Gods examines many aspects of urban culture that play out within these monumental architectural forms, including spirituality, violence, rigid social norms, anarchy, and also expressions of sexuality and gender.

Tracing the history of the game in Brazil and Argentina through colonial influences as well as indigenous ball courts in Mayan, Aztec, Zapotec, Mixtec, and Olmec societies, Christopher Gaffney's study spans both ancient and contemporary worlds, linking the development of stadiums to urbanization and the consolidation of nation building in two of Latin America's most intriguing megacities.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780292721654
Publisher:	University of Texas Press
Publication date:	12/01/2008
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	285
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.65(d)

About the Author

Christopher Thomas Gaffney is an independent scholar based in Durham, North Carolina. Also a journalist and local radio commentator, he has played soccer on four continents, winning the 1997 Taiwanese Footballer of the Year Award.

Table of Contents

• Foreword
• Preface
• Acknowledgments
• Abbreviations
• Chapter One. The Stadium in Theory and Practice
• Chapter Two. Rio de Janeiro: Spiritual Home of World Football
• Chapter Three. Stadiums and Society in Twenty-first Century Rio de Janeiro
• Chapter Four. Buenos Aires: Estadiolandia
• Chapter Five. Class and Conflict in the Stadiums of Buenos Aires
• Chapter Six. Comparative Cultural Urbanism
• Appendix A. Stadiums in Rio de Janeiro, 2008
• Appendix B. Clubs and Stadiums in Buenos Aires, 2007
• Appendix C. Time Line, Brazil
• Appendix D. Time Line, Argentina
• Notes
• Bibliography
• Index

What People are Saying About This

Joseph L. Scarpaci

A fascinating account of how the world's most popular sport has left an indelible mark in two world cities.
— Joseph L. Scarpaci, Professor of Geography, Virginia Tech

Editorial Reviews

Written for both academic and general audiences, the book seems appropriate for undergraduate or graduate teaching as well as more widespread readership. I highly recommend Temples of the Earthbound Gods as both a lively read and an insightful reflection on sports and society in Latin America.

Journal of Latin American Geography

Written for both academic and general audiences, the book seems appropriate for undergraduate or graduate teaching as well as more widespread readership. I highly recommend Temples of the Earthbound Gods as both a lively read and an insightful reflection on sports and society in Latin America.

Journal of Latin American Geography - Brian J. Godfrey