Biography
Jacco van Sterkenburg works as an Endowed Professor " 'Race' , Inclusion and Communication, specifically in relation to Football and Media" in the Department of Media & Communication at Erasmus University. He obtained his PhD at the Humanities faculty of Utrecht University in 2011. In addition, Jacco has an MA (Drs.) degree in Psychology at Utrecht University with a specialization in Cross-cultural Psychology. For the past years, Jacco van Sterkenburg’s research has focused in particular on the following topics:
* Football and racism in a broad sense, including media, leadership, professional and recreational sports/football
* Media, Inclusion and Diversity
* Race, ethnicity, gender, whiteness in sports media, sport leadership and sport coaching, in an internationally comparative perspective
* the Paralympics on television.
Jacco’s research has gained recognition inside and outside academia. This is evident from academic awards and grants such as the NWO Vidi grant for a 5-year project on race/ethnicity and whiteness in mediated football (2018-2023), National Science Agenda (NWA) and Erasmus+ grants (co-applicant) on race and gender in sport media and in football leadership across European football, FIFA and UEFA scholarships, and KNAW and various Erasmus University Rotterdam grants. He has publications in books (e.g. on sport and race/ethnicity, with Routledge) and peer-refereed journals such as Media Culture & Society, European Journal of Cultural Studies, Language and Intercultural Communication, Communication and Sport, Journal of Sport and Social Issues, International Review for the Sociology of Sport, and Soccer & Society. He has participated in advisory committees, popular fora, debates, and radio and TV programs. Moreover, Jacco acts as a supervisor (‘co-promotor’) of six PhD candidates and has been a visiting faculty at Leeds Beckett University, Roehampton University, Brunel University (London), University of Copenhagen, and a Visiting Professor at Victoria University Melbourne (Australia, January 2018). Currently, Jacco van Sterkenburg is also a Guest Researcher at Mulier Institute; Associate Editor of the peer-refereed journal Communication and Sport; Editorial board member of diverse academic journals; and one of the twelve Advisory Board Members of the International Sociology of Sport Association (ISSA) (2016-2023). Jacco’s teaching focuses on intercultural communication, racism and inclusion, research methods, sociology of sport and football, media and diversity, audience reception research and theory, politics of representation. He holds the Senior Qualification for Teaching (SKO) and acts as the BA-1 coordinator of the International Bachelor Communication and Media (IBCoM) at Erasmus University Rotterdam.
Erasmus School of History, Culture and Communication
- sterkenburg@eshcc.eur.nl
Erasmus School of History, Culture and Communication
- sterkenburg@eshcc.eur.nl
More information
Work
- Arne van Lienden, Jacco van Sterkenburg & Mélodine Sommier (2024) - From studio to screen: The production processes of Polish televised football and discursive (re)constructions of race/ethnicity - Media, Culture & Society, 46 (6), 1162-1180 - doi: 10.1080/17447143.2023.2244930
- Arne van Lienden, Jacco van Sterkenburg & Carmen Longas Luque (2024) - Producing Sport Mega Events: A Meta-analysis of Discourses Surrounding Race/ethnicity in European Televised Football Production. - International Journal of Sport and Society, 15 (3), 91-110 - [link]
- Ali Ziaee, Jay Lee, Jacco van Sterkenburg & Ivo van Hilvoorde (2024) - Media and representation of others. Can of Iran in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. - European Journal for Sport and Society - doi: 10.1080/16138171.2024.2345950
- Jacco van Sterkenburg & Yamina Meziani (2024) - Discrimination, management and social movements in the world of sports and mediated sports - Staps, 144 (1), 15-22 - doi: 10.3917/sta.144.0015
- Yamina Meziani & Jacco van Sterkenburg (2024) - Discrimination, management et mouvements sociaux dans le monde du sport et des médias sportifs - REVUE Staps, 144 (1), 5-13 - [link]
- Jacco van Sterkenburg (2024) - Inaugural lecture ‘Everyday racism. The case of football, media and leadership’. Lecture to publicly accept Endowed Chair
- Palesa Mashigo, Jacco van Sterkenburg, Teresa De la Hera & Joao Fernando Ferreira Goncalves (2024) - One rotten apple or a rotten tree: football leaders’ perceptions of racism in European football - Ethnic and Racial Studies - doi: 10.1080/01419870.2024.2343936 - [link]
- Jacco van Sterkenburg & Max Walder (2024) - Race and whiteness in football talk amongst English fans: audience receptions of televised national team coverage - Soccer and Society, 25 (4-6), 397-410 - doi: 10.1080/14660970.2024.2332090 - [link]
- Jim Lusted, Jacco van Sterkenburg & Akilah Carter-Francique (2023) - Editorial: The impact of COVID-19 on social inequalities in sport and physical activity. - Frontiers in Sports and Active Living - doi: 10.3389/fspor.2023.1308924/full
- Arne van Lienden, Jacco van Sterkenburg & Melodine Sommier (2023) - Meanings given to race/ethnicity in everyday football talk by young adult Polish audiences: a reception study - Journal of Multicultural Discourses, 18 (3), 175-190 - doi: 10.1080/17447143.2023.2244930 - [link]
- Jacco van Sterkenburg (17 August 2024) - TROUW: ‘Hassan toont dat meerdere identiteiten kunnen samengaan’
- Jacco van Sterkenburg (7 June 2024) - Volkskrant (newspaper): ‘Hoe kleurrijk is Oranje?’
- Jacco van Sterkenburg (15 May 2024) - Hart van Nederland - Interview racisme in amateurvoetbal [TV interview Racism in amateur football)
- Jacco van Sterkenburg (11 April 2024) - Erasmus Magazine: ‘Ik kijk naar de voedingsbodem van apengeluiden in het stadion’
- Jacco van Sterkenburg (5 April 2024) - TROUW (national newspaper): ‘Zwarte voetballer snel en sterk noemen is impliciet racisme’
- Jacco van Sterkenburg (5 April 2024) - - Radio NPO1, ‘Humberto’: "Jacco van Sterkenburg wordt de eerste hoogleraar racisme in de voetbalwereld"
- Jacco van Sterkenburg (5 April 2024) - NU.nl: Anti-racisme campagnes in het voetbal zijn niet effectief’. (my research and interview in TROUW from the same day being discussed), 5 April 2024
- Jacco van Sterkenburg (4 April 2024) - NPO series Uit de kramp - serie over racisme in Nederland (TV series on racism)
- Jacco van Sterkenburg (3 April 2024) - Erasmus Magazine: ‘Hoe corona subsidies blijvend het werk van onderzoekers veranderde
- Jacco van Sterkenburg (21 March 2024) - Anne Frank Foundation: TikTok posts on racism where I am interviewed as expert
- Isabel Awad Cherit, Alexandre Diallo, Jacco van Sterkenburg, Sergül Nguyen, Arne van Lienden, Carmen Longas Luque & Palesa Mashigo (2024) - Representation of Diversity in Mediated Popular Culture
- Jacco van Sterkenburg (2024) - Key note ‘Racialized practices and meaning-making. Behind the scenes of televised football production (Synthesis).
- Jacco van Sterkenburg (2024) - ‘Diversity in research projects’ (presentation and panel member). Representations of diversity in mediated popular culture in the 21st century. Rotterdam, 11 June 2024. (invited by Dr Alexandre Diallo)
- Jacco van Sterkenburg (2024) - ‘Everyday racisms and inclusion in football video gaming and televised football’. Sport and Discrimination congress, Besancon, France, 31 May 2024
- Jacco van Sterkenburg (2024) - Racisme en inclusie in sport en samenleving [Racism and inclusion in sport and society], with Lis Camelia. Two workshops in Rotterdam as part of the 110-year Lustrum of the university. 13 May and 18 May 2024
- Jacco van Sterkenburg (2024) - Racisme in de sport? [Racism in sport?]. Interview in Studio Erasmus (Erasmus University talkshow), Theatre Rotterdam, 14 May 2024.
- Jacco van Sterkenburg (2024) - The University of Vic - Central University of Catalonia
- Jacco van Sterkenburg (2024) - Transforming leadership in football and sport organizations’. Masterclass on invitation. Hamburg Sport Summit, 4 July 2024 (invited by Fussball kann mehr)
- Jacco van Sterkenburg (2023) - ‘Televised men’s football and race: Synthesis of research findings’. ECREA Congress Transnational Families and Media Practices. Rotterdam, the Netherlands,, 7-9 December
- Jacco van Sterkenburg (2023) - ‘Sport, racism en discriminatie’ [Sport, racism and discrimination]. Introductory talk at Nationaal Congres tegen Discriminatie en Racisme, Workshops Sport. Ede, the Netherlands, 28 November 2023
- Jacco van Sterkenburg (2024) - ROCIES - Safe sporting cultures (research grant awarded by ZonMw)
- Jacco van Sterkenburg (2024) - Our Sport is for Everyone (co-applicant)
- Jacco van Sterkenburg, Carmen Longas Luque & Xavier Ginesta (2023) - Social media and sport as spaces for belonging (research grant, in a cooperation with Univ of VIC, Spain)
- Jacco van Sterkenburg (2023) - VIC Barcelona – Erasmus University joint research grant ‘Social networks and sport as spaces for the construction of place identity and the reproduction of dominant gender and ethnic discourses among adolescents: a comparison between Catalonia and Zuid-Holland (Co-applicant)
- Jacco van Sterkenburg (2023) - Chair of Academic Supervisory Board WODC/VU Amsterdam- Belgian/Dutch research on football violence
- Jacco van Sterkenburg, Matthias de Heer & Palesa Mashigo (2022) - Winner Emerald Best Paper Award 2022 (prize by academic publisher Emerald)
- Jacco van Sterkenburg (2022) - NWA grant (Nederlandse Wetenschaps Agenda/Dutch Science Agenda) ‘Representing Europe: Popular representations of diversity and connectedness’ (Co-applicant)
- Jacco van Sterkenburg (2021) - Endowed Chair ‘Race’, Inclusion and Communication. Financially supported by Fare, FIFPRO and UEFA
- Jacco van Sterkenburg (2021) - TACKLE project – Racism in football (small grant by Fare)
- Jacco van Sterkenburg, Amanda Paz Alencar, Julian Schaap & Pauwke Berkers (2021) - KNAW Science Communication Grant. Main applicant.
- Nick Romeijn & Jacco van Sterkenburg (2021) - FIFPRO project Intercultural competences for football expats (co-applicant with Nick Romeijn)
- Jacco van Sterkenburg (2020) - Research project proposal granted: Social inequality in sport and exercise in the COVID-19 context. Financed by ZonMw. Co-applicant with a.o. Radboud University, Mulier Institute, NOC*NSF, VSG, Sport Utrecht, GGD Gelderland
- Jacco van Sterkenburg (2020) - Co-applicant in accepted Erasmus+ project on diversity and football leadership (iFLIPP) (2020-22)
- Jacco van Sterkenburg (2020) - Co-applicant in accepted Ministry of Social Affairs Grant on discrimination against youth of African origin (2020)
- Jacco van Sterkenburg (2018) - How racist is televised football and do audiences react?
- Jacco van Sterkenburg (2016) - Small grant Kennis Centrum Sport
- Jacco van Sterkenburg (2016) - Awarded REI grant for research on migration histories, citizenship and sport (co-applicant)
- Jacco van Sterkenburg (2015) - EUR Fellowship on sport media audiences, race and gender
- Jacco van Sterkenburg (2014) - EUR Research Prize
WODC
- Start date approval
- January 2024
- End date approval
- December 2024
- Place
- DEN HAAG
- Description
- Voorzitter wetenschappelijke begeleidingscommissie
Methods of Media Research
- Year Level
- MA, MA, MA, MA, MA
- Year
- 2024
- Course Code
- CM4304
Intercultural Communication
- Level
- BA-1
- Year Level
- BA-1
- Year
- 2024
- Course Code
- CM1010
Television Audiences
- Year Level
- MA, MA-2, MA
- Year
- 2024
- Course Code
- CM4351
Master Thesis Project
- Year Level
- MA, MA, MA, MA, MA
- Year
- 2024
- Course Code
- CM5050
Internship
- Level
- BA-2
- Year Level
- BA-2
- Year
- 2024
- Course Code
- CM3041
Minor Sports and Society
- Year
- 2024
- Course Code
- FEB53120
Minor Sports and Society
- Year
- 2024
- Course Code
- FEB53120M
Master Thesis
- Year Level
- MA, MA, MA, MA, MA
- Year
- 2024
- Course Code
- CM5000