Dedicated to Sport

Dedicated to Sport

DEDICATED TO SPORTS

Dedicated to Sports

Douglas R. Chace

Ashford University

SOC 318

DEDICATED TO SPORTS

Abstract

This paper explores the “dedicated to sports” phenomenon and attempts to answer the question: “Why are some people fanatically interested in playing and watching sports?” Through internet research and the use of periodical articles found in the ProQuest databases, I intend to apply the functionalist model of society to show that intense fanatical dedication to sports supports a micro chasm of stability and equilibrium based on common interests and convictions. Through being a fan for a winning or losing team, a fan can continue to support the status quo: namely norms, customs, traditions and institutions, which allows for greater solidarity and social cohesion. And that fans, though they can be classified in many different categories, can see across those divisions and simply enjoy the experience of being a fan.

DEDICATED TO SPORTS

According to Merriam Webster’s Dictionary, a society is a voluntary association of individuals for common ends; especially: an organized group working together or periodically meeting because of common interests, beliefs, or profession. When it comes to fans in sports’ society, the common interest is usually a specific sports team. Interestingly, though the sports teams are typically associated with a geographic area, the fan base of that team can extend far beyond the city or region that the team itself calls home. Also, the level of involvement that fans have is seemingly unrelated to the fan’s place of residence in relation to the team’s location. I have been in Seoul, South Korea; Petra, Jordan; and Kingston, Jamaica and in all three most distinctively different locales, I have found a common factor: Cowboys’ Fans (or those who are decidedly NOT Cowboys’ fans). People relate to sports teams in different ways.

There are those that define themselves as “Packers’ Fans” or “Yankees’...

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