Sport Fans and Fandoms

Bibliographic Data

ID23577321
AuthorsWilliam W Kelly (corresponding author)
Year2015
Pages313-323
Publication date2015-07-24
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessNo
TypeCHAPTER
VenueRoutledge Handbook of the Sociology of Sport (SOURCE_BOOK)
PublisherRoutledge (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.4324/9780203404065-33
OpenAlexW4246945668
ISBN9780203404065
LanguageEN
Citations received7
References cited1

This chapter outlines the long-standing and highly developed sociology of sport fandom, which itself is a core field of sport sociology. The debates in sport sociology and sport history about the utility of sharply demarcating modern sport from those sport-like physical contests in eras before has generated similar debates about spectators and fans. Fans represent the fondest hopes and worst fears of a sport capitalist. Unfortunately, little attention has been paid to fan violence across sports comparatively because there appears to be little correlation between fan violence and on-field violence. Organized sports participation and spectatorship are still overwhelmingly male, at least in the aggregate. There is a desperate and deep-rooted gender bias that still works against women’s sport, female athletes, and female fans. Sport fans and their worlds exhibit the common features of modern fandoms.

Art · Crime, Deviance, and Social Control · Music History and Culture · Sports, Gender, and Society

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