Living and feeling sport: Fanaticism through a Psychological lens
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.37387/ipc.v14i1.427Keywords:
sport fanaticism, sports identity, sports psychology, Social Identity Theory, sports cultureAbstract
Sports nowadays play an essential role in the individual and collective identity of people. Through this essay we seek to analyze from different psychological currents how sports fanaticism occurs and the influences it has from an individualized point of view and a more collective point of view in communities, cities or even countries. The main currents are explored including psychoanalysis, humanism, systemic, ecological and social that try to explain this phenomenon very present nowadays. A literature review is carried out including bibliography, scientific articles and other digital publications for the collection and integration of information. As a conclusion, sports fanaticism generates feelings of belonging, acceptance and commitment that make the individual feel identified and part of a community together with other fans of that team. In addition to the individual benefits, there are also collective benefits in the mental health of communities or cities, which through sports fanaticism find a source of resilience and hope as a coping mechanism. More studies and writings of this style are encouraged, adding approaches that focus on different dimensions such as the effects of fanaticism on therapy or the socioeconomic impact of sport in a country.
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