Chris Bolsmann (Sociology, Aston University) on the successful 2010 World Cup in South Africa. Topics covered include experiences at stadiums; FIFA‘s Disney-fied World Cup; Pan-Africanism and African teams; and the economic and political impact of the tournament.

More World Cup Thoughts Online:

• ‘After the Final’ with Karabo Mathang and Sindi Mabizela (audio)
• Laurent Dubois and Achille Mbembe on ‘The People’s Game’ (audio)
• African Soccerscapes by Peter Alegi (book)
• Dr. Bolsmann’s World Cup blog at Harvard Business Review
• Footballiscominghome (blog)
• Feel it! Reflections on SA 2010 (blog)
• Chronicle of SA 2010 for Latin Americans (blog in Spanish)

 

 Africa Past and Present: Episode 43 [26:23m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Thabo Dladla, Conti Khubeka and Zeph Mthembu on the potential impact of the 2010 World Cup on grassroots soccer in South Africa. All three men are former professional players now coaching youths. What does 2010 mean to these elders of the game? Will the tournament address the legacy of apartheid and the new challenges of globalization? Putting people before profits, Dladla says, is necessary to effect positive social change.

 

 Africa Past and Present: Episode 41 [33:50m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Dr. Paul Darby (University of Ulster) on  Africa’s place in world soccer. He examines Africa’s political relations with FIFA and the role of CAF, the continental governing body. Darby then discusses his new research on the migration of young African players to Europe through case studies of Ghana’s Liberty Professionals FC and the Right to Dream Academy.

 

 Africa Past and Present: Episode 23 [37:59m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Peter Alegi discusses his book manuscript in process African Soccerscapes: Sport, Race, Nation, and Capitalism (Ohio University Press, forthcoming in 2009). Guest host Solomon Getahun and Peter Limb talk with Alegi about football and anti-colonial nationalism in Nigeria, Algeria, and South Africa; the history of migration of African players to Europe; and South Africa’s hosting of the 2010 World Cup.

 

 Africa Past and Present: Episode 10 [30:37m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Professor Folu Ogundimu (MSU, Journalism) joins Peter Limb and Olabode Ibironke, an MSU graduate student in Comparative Literature, to discuss how the transformation of mass media in contemporary Africa has revitalized democracy and strengthened freedom of expression. Later in the episode, Alegi reports on the “Media, Communication, and Sports in Africa” conference, and speaks with Simon Akindes (University of Wisconsin, Parkside) about the joys and sorrows of global African football.

 

 Africa Past and Present 29 February 2008: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

In this episode’s first segment, Peter Alegi reports on the exciting conclusion of the 2008 African Nations Cup in Ghana. In the second segment, South African media scholar Sean Jacobs (University of Michigan) discusses his blog Leo Africanus, and shares his insights on the relationship between media, popular culture, and democracy in Africa.

 

 Africa Past and Present 15 February 2008: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

This episode focuses on African football (soccer), cinema, and literature. In the first segment, Peter Alegi reports on the first round of the African Nations Cup in Ghana. In the second segment, MSU Professors Ken Harrow and Safoi Babana-Hampton join us in a discussion centered around Harrow’s new book Postcolonial African Cinema: From Political Engagement to Postmodernism (Indiana University Press, 2007). Issues of authenticity, “truth,” self-expression, and the impact of new media connect the latest trends in African cinema and literature.

 

 Africa Past and Present Podcast for 31 January 2008: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download