@article{article_1711969, title={“What Do You Know About Football?”: Investigating Cyberbullying Against Female Football Fans Through Discourse Analysis and In-Depth Interview}, journal={Etkileşim}, pages={68–93}, year={2025}, DOI={10.32739/etkilesim.2025.8.16.305}, author={Cizmeci Ümit, Esra and Yeşil, Dilek}, keywords={yeni medya, sosyal medya, kadın, futbol, siber zorbalık}, abstract={Football has gone beyond being just a sport for many years and has become a cultural area where gender roles are reproduced. The male-dominated structure of this sport limits women’s participation in football culture in various ways. The stereotypical roles that gender imposes on individuals still lead to football being largely perceived as a “men’s sport”; this situation causes female fans to be excluded and targeted in both physical and digital environments. Relatedly, this study aims to examine cyberbullying practices towards female football fans on Instagram, an area where gender inequality in digital media becomes visible. Within the scope of the research, female user comments on football-related Instagram posts were examined using discourse analysis; reactions to the comments, aggressive expressions, and sexist language patterns were analyzed in detail. In order to deepen the analysis, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 20 university students from different departments, and the reasons for cyberbullying towards female fans, the social dynamics behind these attitudes, and the digital reflections of male-dominated sports culture were examined through participant statements. The findings, through discourse analysis conducted on comments directed at female football fans on Instagram and in-depth interviews, reveal that women are excluded and subjected to cyberbullying in football. The perception that football is a sport for men is dominant in both online comments and participant opinions. The fact that women are not seen as "real fans" causes both their knowledge base to be belittled and them to become targets of sexist discourse on social media. Although participants state that gender roles should be questioned, traditional perspectives that women are not suitable for football are still strong. It is recommended that steps be taken to increase the visibility of women in football, especially on social media.}, number={16}, publisher={Üsküdar Üniversitesi}