“Estar presente” in the stands and in the streets with “barras bravas” of Bogotá: The ethnographic fieldwork of a supporter-researcher

Abstract

From 1991 to 2013 in Colombia, fans organized themselves into groups called "barras bravas", made up of young men, who transformed the dynamics of each game. They disrupted spectator attendance in stadiums, took over the “hinchada” located behind the goals, and exhibited festive expressions as well as violent behaviors. The purpose of the article is to analyze the manifestation of the carnival and the behavior of the combat in the “barras bravas” of Bogotá. The ethnographic fieldwork, from an interpretive orientation, allowed the understanding and description of production, reproduction, and dissemination of the meaning of experiences and from the subjects' stories. Ethnographic fieldwork allows the researcher to “estar presente” with the social actors, at the time and in the place, that is, with Blue Rain and Blue Comandos Azules Distrito Capital; around the Millonarios Fútbol Club matches, at the Nemesio Camacho “El Campín” stadium. The techniques used were participant observation, autoethnography, field diary, interview, and text. The ethnographic fieldwork allowed us to highlight that the supporters – grouped in the “barras bravas” – exhibit festive expressions in the stands and violent behavior in the streets, called carnival and combat, respectively. The most relevant conclusion is the festive aspect is a way of showing support for the team, while the violent aspect is a means of confronting and prevailing over rivals. They participate in the carnival and remain in combat to demonstrate their “aguante”, a notion and an experience to demonstrate in the stands and in the streets, by “estar presente”.