Affective Governance

Abstract

Abstract In response to the ultras’ inflammatory activities in and around the stadium space, this chapter explores the ways in which numerous governing bodies influenced the social life of the hardcore fans at FC Union Berlin. The management of the ultras’ affective labor reflects complicated, overlapping, and sometimes contradictory strategies of governance that aim to establish security, predictability, social accessibility, and customer compliance—all essential components of the modern sporting event. By investigating the variety of strategies taken by various governing bodies, this chapter challenges the notion that the management of the ultras’ activities is solely motivated by public safety or the prevention of violence but rather is intended to produce scenarios that the state is already equipped to manage. In so doing, affective governance produces The Deviant in the public imaginary and further radicalizes the ideologies and worldviews of the ultras in the process.