Sports Fandom and Money

Welcome back to Athletic Anthropology! Today I am excited to talk about sports fandoms and the anthropology behind them. Like any other social group, understanding how sports fans are created and why so many people choose to follow sports can reveal important information about our global society and how it is shaped.

Many companies have capitalized on the social influence sports fandom has had on fans. In many sporting arenas, sitting passively in a section of the stadium designated for fans of a respective team is not enough to prove fans' devotion to the team. For a fan to be accepted by a larger group of sports fans, they must take action to show that they fit in with the group. This process is similar to the forming of ethnicities. Ethnicity differs from race in that it is a social construction that requires two groups of people to differentiate themselves as either in the in-group or out-group. Ethnicity is constructed via identity–in which an individual declares who they are and whom they believe themselves to be—and ascription—in which others assert whom they believe an individual to be. Ethnicity serves to guide the behavioral norms of individuals in a designated ethnic group and channel social interactions. The development of passionate fans can be compared to porous ethnic groups. Porous ethnic groups allow for easy passage in or out of the group. One may enter or leave the group by attempting to control their identity and ascription. While a fan may assert that they support a team, fulfilling the self-identification required to join the group, they must gain the group's trust and outwardly express this identity to gain acceptance into the group by having congruent identity and ascription. Sports fans can achieve ascription into smaller groups in which they are familiar with all members easily. However, in packed arenas, accepted members of sports fandoms (which are often unofficial and based on a system of social acceptance and comradery) use easily recognizable symbols such as jerseys to distinguish other members. Many fans don jerseys and apparel to show their commitment to the group in hopes of achieving recognition from other fans. Apparel is often used as a medium by members of sports fandoms to win the approval and validation of one another because it reflects support through a financial commitment. The logoed apparel worn by fans helps to build unity within these communities. Despite being strangers, many fans will cheer together as their team scores in a cordial manner and will unite against the fans of the opposing team. The relationships between fans are one of the significant reasons sports have become an economic force in America, as the thousands of fans that buy tickets fill stadium seats. Purchasing apparel creates a culture that motivates the purchase of logo-covered goods. 

Sports fans are like any other social group, so understanding the way that media and societal institutions influence people is an important step in ensuring an equitable society. Monitoring and resolving the tensions between sports teams’ fans can give anthropologists valuable tools in resolving ethnic tensions around the world