Football fan subculture in Russia

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M.B. Fefelov
Russian State Social University, Moscow

Keywords: football subculture, fans, hooligans.

Introduction. The movement of fans in Russia differs from that in the West in terms of the composition of participants and the system of motivation. Initially, the football subculture is oppositional to the general culture of society, but it is not conflictual, since the potential for conflict spills out to other fans.
The aim of the study is to identify the psychological determinants of delinquent behavior of representatives of the football subculture.
Methodology and organization of the study. scientific work was carried out in 2005-2010 in cooperation with the department of public order protection of the ministry of internal affairs of the russian federation in moscow in the stands of sports arenas in moscow.
The results of the study and their discussion. In the Russian national near-football usage, the term "football hooligan" appeared relatively recently, some ideas define them as persons who commit illegal acts, justifying this by the fact of their belonging to a certain club. The similarity of "normal" and "football" hooliganism lies in personal characteristics: the need to prove yourself, get support, ensure your safety and have a good time. The environment of fans provides such opportunities, because sports are associated with conflicts that affect the level of mass confrontation between cities, regions, and countries.
By the end of the 90s of the XX century. for fans of the main clubs of the Russian football Premier League, the phenomenon of football hooliganism has formed. Along with the existing set of practices, new ones have appeared, dictated primarily by the Western model.
Representatives of the football subculture, prone to deviant behavior, gather in small informal groups, which later acquire the features of formal ones: positions, roles, and group norms are formed within them. Groups are more organized and have higher requirements for accepting group values than fans in general. The size of groups is on average 15-30 people, often united on a territorial basis. Most of them are young people, and their social and financial situation is not lower than average, since many practices require investment of money.
The behavior of football hooligans on the field has its own characteristics. They use other songs and "chants", organize performances during the match using pyrotechnics and noise support, organized clashes with groups of other clubs and with representatives of law enforcement agencies.
Conclusions. "Hooligans» - autonomous formation within the fan movement. Although they accept the group values and norms of fans, they are aggressive, unity on the principle of "we are feelings" creates a sense of power and anonymity in them, which reduces criticism of antisocial behavior.

References

  1. Fefelov M. B. Football disorders: relevance and perspective / M. B. Fefelov // Scientific notes of the Russian State Social Service. un-ta. - 2006. Special issue, No. 5. - p. 44.