“Little Old Wales”: Expressions of Nationalism, Language and Pride in Welsh Football

Author

Abigail MathiesonFollow

Date of Award

Winter 12-13-2023

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts (MA)

Program

Global Arts and Cultures

First Advisor

Eric Anderson

Second Advisor

Avishek Ganguly

Third Advisor

Elen Ifan

Abstract

Welsh football, through its use of material culture, language, and acknowledgements of history, has become a major force in representing Welsh national identities locally and globally. This thesis expands on Benedict Anderson’s idea of the “imagined community” through contemporary research from academic sources and from voices throughout the Welsh footballing community. It highlights the significance of the sport in national identity, especially within smaller nations such as Wales with histories of post-colonialism. Along with this, football shows the role cultural nationalism plays in the nation of Wales and in its independence movements.

Recommended Citation

Mathieson, Abigail, "“Little Old Wales”: Expressions of Nationalism, Language and Pride in Welsh Football" (2023). Masters Theses. 1188.
https://digitalcommons.risd.edu/masterstheses/1188

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.