Exploring sense of community in a relocated sports fan group

Abstract

Geographical relocation may create a number of adjustment issues for individuals including isolation and loneliness. For some, cheering for a team and being part of a fan group may be one way to address these issues and development a sense of community (SOC). The development of SOC, however, may be complicated when individuals no longer live near the team they root for. Though sport fan groups often exist outside of the area of the team, it is unclear if and how SOC develops in these groups, and further, how participation in the group influences views of the current residence. This paper addresses this gap by exploring SOC in one such ‘relocated’ sports fan group. Findings suggest elements of two prominent theories of SOC, and also extend that research by showing the process through which SOC develops, and how group participation impacts feelings towards the current residence.

Notes

1. The research team recognizes the potentially offensive implications of the use of the team name, Redskins. We believe that the use of this team nickname is derogatory and offensive. However, given that this is the current team name, and the use of this mascot is particularly germane to some of the findings, we reluctantly contextualize the research using the team name.

2. Pseudonyms are used throughout for participant anonymity.