Dragon Balls and Rugby Balls: negotiating cultural identity on the sports field Research Completed
Title
Dragon Balls and Rugby Balls: negotiating cultural identity on the sports field
Lead Author
Elena Kolesova
Organisation(s)
Unitec New Zealand
Publication Year
2012
Publisher
Unitec ePress
Contacts
Dr Elena Kolesova
Phone: +64-9-815 4321 ext 6110 or 8827
Abstract
The performance and consumption of popular culture in everyday life is rarely included in authoritative discourses about national identity and nationalism. In this paper I will discuss some possibilities for the analysis (and understanding) of often unpredictable interactions between global popular culture and the local cultural context. The particular case involves a group of young Maori men who were inspired by Dragon Ball Z (DBZ), one of the most well-known Japanese anime, to form their own Touch Rugby team, the Saiyans Touch club, in the New Zealand city of Hamilton. At a time when New Zealand Rugby players had become a popular sporting commodity all around the world, including Japan, due to their sporting excellence, local Maori men drew inspiration from anime characters that do not even know how to play rugby.
pages 141-151
Keywords:
New Zealand; Touch rugby; Popular culture
How to access
Areas of Focus
Population Groups
Settings (location)
Topics
Sport and Recreation Types
Views
1698
Added
October 3, 2013