Social Identity Theory

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The social identity theory states that people are motivated to behave in ways that maintain and boost their self esteem. Sports is beneficial to a person’s self esteem because it allows fans to be affiliated with the players. The fans endure the tough losses and celebrate after the triumphant wins, giving them a connection to the guys who actually affect the outcome of the games. Fans can believe that they are an important part of the team, even though the most they can do is cheer in the stands. When fans attach themselves to a team, they develop their social identity because they become a member of a special group. Within that group, they feel a connection to other fans who have the same hopes for their team. True fans will still view their team positively after suffering a defeat. During the Cleveland Cavaliers 26-game losing streak, they still sold out many of their home games, indicating that their fans still supported them despite performing poorly. No matter the ups and downs of sports, group identification helps boost self esteem. Sports fans also develop the “us versus them” mentality, which blames the opposition for failure rather than attributing it to the favored team’s lack of effort. This mentality also turns into bitter rivalries in which not only the players but fans of rival teams develop a sense of hatred for one another. Therefore the “them” becomes the enemy while the “us” remains a selective group that only the true fans can be a part of. This relates to the ethnocentrism, the idea that one's ethnic or cultural group is centrally important and superior to other groups. Although this idea can be dangerous, it forms a bond between members of the same group and is therefore vital in the relationships within fan bases of the same team.

"The Packers are like your children. You don’t love them because they’re good. You love them because they’re yours." -Packers fan, Steve Gay.

Breaking Cultural Barriers

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Sometimes moments in sports transcend reality. They can inspire a nation, erasing hundreds of years of hatred between cultural groups in a country. For evidence of that look no further than the Iraqi national soccer team, comprised of Shiites, Sunnis and Kurds. When the team captain, a Sunni, scored the game winning goal of the Asian Cup finals, the country celebrated in the streets waving Iraq's flag and reveling in the glory of their fellow countrymen. At this moment the bitter hatred between the ethnicities was unapparent. The ability of sports to bring together a social group is really what gives it its magic. Every 2 years the Olympic Games prove to us that regardless of what is happening in the world, we can all come together in the spirit of sport, which triumphs over politics. Nations are united behind their team's performance on the field. The players may not even realize, but they are establishing the citizens' identity and instilling in them a pride like no other. In sports especially, we may not know the athletes, but because they play for a team you cheer for or are citizens of the same country, we feel better about ourselves when they succeed. Our empathy towards them is present because we can relate to them in regard to identity. Perhaps the best example of sports being used to propel a group's identity is Jackie Robinson's career in Major League Baseball. Before him, an African American had never played in the MLB. By breaking the color barrier, and excelling on the field, he proved that blacks and whites were equal. As a leader in the civil rights movement, Robinson gave African Americans everywhere hope that racial segregation would someday end. By strengthening African American's sense of pride in their ethnicity and culture, he made them feel proud of their identities.

Works Cited