Sports Fan Violence in North America

By (author) Jerry M. Lewis

Publication date:

12 July 2007

Length of book:

160 pages

Publisher

Rowman & Littlefield Publishers

ISBN-13: 9780742539808

This extensively researched book addresses sports fan violence sociologically, using both theoretical models and empirical data. Lewis draws from the theoretical approaches based on the collective behavior models of Neil J. Smelser and Clark McPhail in order to show how to study fan violence using the intensive case history method. This method is then applied to an in-depth analysis of the Ohio State-Michigan football celebration riot in 2002 and the Boston Red Sox celebration riot in 2004. The book concludes by proposing solutions for the prevention and control of sports fan violence.

Chapter 1 Introduction to Sports Fan Violence in North America
Chapter 2 Sports Fan Violence: An Overview
Chapter 3 Approaches to Studying Sports Fan Violence
Chapter 4 Social Correlates of Sports Fan Violence
Chapter 5 Socialization of the Violent Fan: Research Questions
Chapter 6 The Ohio State and Red Sox Celebrating Riots
Chapter 7 Serious Fan Violence and the Importance of Sport
Chapter 8 Solutions to the Problems of Fan Violence

Professor Lewis has produced an incredibly well-written and well-researched overview of the sociology of sports fan violence. Having spent his career studying this phenomenon, Lewis has now crafted the definitive work in the field. This outstanding work is required reading for anyone wanting to understand the roots of sports fan violence in America.