Subcultures cut across societies. Each subculture has some unique attributes that set it apart from the rest of a society. In the paper, the football fanaticism subculture is considered.
Football fanaticism has gripped some parts of the world. Fanaticism emerges when a group of individuals decide to extend an unwavering and fanatical support to a given sport or team. Fanatics of teams such as football clubs pay special attention to all events involving their squads. Thus, they keep a team’s itinerary to ensure that they do not miss any event. Whenever their teams play, they are always seen adorning the commands’ uniforms in readiness for the sporting events. From the past till nowadays, the subcultures have been embracing uncouth behavior.
For instance, when the fanatics travel, they are known to cause havoc or other forms of disturbances wherever they are. When the fanatics travel abroad, they also break laws as they engage in various aspects of hooliganism. In this regard, it is clear that this ubculture embraces unsporting activities although they purport to do so. Another attribute that characterizes the subculture is the unwillingness to accept defeat. Whenever the teams of this subculture play in competitions, the fanatics do not consider that there are two options. For instance, in a football game, there is a possibility of winning or losing.
However, the subculture believes that their teams should always win. It is against this backdrop that the subculture loses its control whenever their teams are defeated. In this case, they engage in any behavior irrespective of the fact that it could be unacceptable.This subculture has such names as the devils, the dragons, the gunners, the indispensables, etc. Often, they also use a dirty language. The terms are attached to the groups as they carry the same meaning amongst members.
Often the words are meant to glorify the teams supported while at the same time, they imply demean the opposing teams. The common values of the group rest on the pursuit off outperforming the opposing team. So, they expect to win irrespective of their strength or the type of opponent. Their value proposition is ‘excellence at all costs.’ They also love each other while reserving hatred against their opponents.
So, they embrace half-love or half-hatred. The experiences shared among fanatical supporters are the heightening of discomfort whenever their teams lose. Often, the members’ levels of anger rise when the teams supported lose unlike those of non-members. Similarly, the members experience extra pleasure when their teams perform as expected.
Non-members may experience pleasure but not as the fanatics do.The group’s identity affects my individual identity in a big way. For instance, my dressing differs from other societal members since I have to put the uniform that allows me to fit into the group. The only thing I could say that I gain from the subculture is the thrill/excitement from cheering our team. It allows one to experience something that only the members can understand.
