Carlos Abreu Mendoza and Denise Y. Arnold (eds.), Crítica de la razón andina (Raleigh, NC: Editorial A. Contracorriente, 2018), pp. 174, $25.00, pb.
particularly interesting and gives one example of consistent effort leading to significant (albeit seemingly temporary) social change. Indeed, the sections dealing with Mexico and Brazil are the longest and offer the most in terms of insight and analysis. At times, it felt as though the book might better be framed as a comparison between these two women’s sports powerhouses. However, to concentrate on the occasional lack of detail in Futbolera is to miss the power of the work in serving to draw together general conclusions that can be gleaned when looking at the region as a whole. One aspect that this approach enables is in generating suggestions for the future with the benefit of understanding what has and has not worked in different countries at different times. Elsey and Nadel argue that ‘The history of the sport and its underdevelopment by FIFA [football’s international governing body], CONMEBOL [the South American football federation], and national associations suggests that the Chilean ANJUFF [association of women footballers] may be on to something – a separate federation or a player’s union and support from FIFPro [the world player’s union]’ (p. 263). Other suggestions concern the importance of collective action and grassroots mobilisation for delivering change. Put most plainly, efforts at recognition for women’s sports ‘are not fighting for equal treatment – or even equitable treatment’ but simply ‘the basics: travel money, decent facilities, and better support’ (ibid.). While it would be easy to question how political and social contexts – created in large part by political and international sports bodies have still not delivered a level playing field for women’s sports participants, women’s sports participation in Latin America – as this book makes plain – might be generally characterised as peaks of interest and support followed by reduced funding and attention.