Qualitative comparative study reveals stadium-based political dissent by youth Ultras in North Africa, highlighting alternative civic participation under restrictive regimes.
Key Points
To examine how football Ultras in Morocco, Tunisia, and Algeria mobilize youth dissent and transform sporting arenas into platforms for political expression.
Conducted a cross-national comparative synthesis using a remote qualitative design to study Ultras movements in Morocco, Tunisia, and Algeria.
Analyzed primary digital repertoires, including viral anthems and social media archives, triangulated with media reports and academic literature through a social semiotic framework.
Demonstrated that Ultras mobilize marginalized youth through synchronized chants, banners, and stadium performances during periods of regime crisis.
Identified that football stadiums operate as alternative participatory spaces that bypass formal political exclusions and actively reshape public discourse.