"FINDING THE GOALPOSTS", masculinities through sports clubs in Upington

128pp., paperback, Langaa Research & Publishing CIG, Mankon 2025

ISBN: 9789956554447

This ethnographic study explores how sports clubs in Upington, South Africa, become dynamic spaces where young Black men actively shape and reshape ideals of masculinity, negotiate complex expectations around responsibility, ambition, and vulnerability, and navigate public displays of care and affection and the persistent stigmas surrounding open communication and emotional support.

“This book is a sensitive and thoughtful ethnographic account of the role of sports in the lives of men in contemporary South Africa. It presents a nuanced view of sports clubs as spaces of camaraderie and mentorship for Black men from underprivileged backgrounds, where they negotiate care for each other and for others, address issues of financial precarity, and even deal with grief. The book will be of interest to researchers, students, and practitioners interested in masculinities, sports, intersectionality, and African studies.” Uroš Kovač, University of Groningen

“Samuel Julius has initiated a way to connect us – the readers – to the youth in sport clubs by describing how roles and responsibilities shape masculinities in Upington's convivial sports teams. Focusing on youth masculinities, not only in South Africa, but across the continent, this monograph is an invigorating demonstration of rigorous fieldwork and participant observation as anthropological research tools.” Ayanda Manqoyi, University of California, Davis

Samuel Julius is studying anthropology at the University of Cape Town.