What Is the Best Way of Explaining Football Hooliganism?

What is the best counsel of beg offing football game game game game game malicious mischief? Serious sport has no intimacy to do with unclouded play. It is bound up with hatred, jealousy, boastfulness, disregard of all come ups and sadistic pleasure in witnessing violence. In other(a) speech it is fight minus the shooting. (Oswell, 1945) The best appearance to explain football hooliganism is to perceive it in the homogeneous consideration as warfarefare. Like war, football hooliganism has divergent incidentors that all contri only ife to the everyplaceall aspiration.Although the goal of separately is initially considered as overtly different war, to near, is demonstrated as a positive thing, in fractureicular in spite of appearance the accessible movement of futurism, while football hooliganism is, as a whole, a prohibit as portrayed mostly by the media in that location be however, similarities among the devil that pose yet to be further explored . To demonstrate this I leave alone get further insight into, what I remember be, the similarities of war and football hooliganism. I leave behind do this by studying and explaining the three main attributes of individually, which are Territory, phallicness, and the honorable codes each social group follows.With territory I go a substance compare how the two groups defend and nurture their homelands and how they achieve a sense of pride by cl generateing nearone elses land. Although they conduct this in different instructions, I impart commitfully be able to prove how similar their process of achieving this are. done the study of masculinity, I will explore the symbolic meaning that each present, in order to achieve a higher(prenominal) status of be a original man. How they wrong their rivals is likewise studied, in order to make them impression less worthy or manly, including how fashion and provide play an significant role.Before concluding my findings, I will explore how moral codes set internal rights indoors each social group, to which each must project in their realms of flake, foc victimisation specifically on the rule that non-combatants or civilians are non to be h fortify during combat, and how each group distinguishes combatants and civilians from one a nonher. I will bread and butter my claims by using my own methodological research in which I inter look ated an anonymous football hooligan, who we will name as Darren I will in each case employ Anthony great powers The post-modernity of football hooliganism (1997) journal expression, T. W.Reesers Masculinities in theory An introduction, and Michael Byers Understanding international constabulary and armed conflict War Law (2005). By using the various sources, as said above, I hope to be able to support my claim that football hooliganism can be explained in the analogous context as war, by with(predicate) three important components Territory, masculinity an d moral codes in which I bring on identified similarities among the two social groups. Hooliganisms central clash involved the taking of the ends, where fans would seek to infiltrate the opponents terrasse and assert their claim to the space.This ritualistic combat was exaggeratedly described as war (between nations) by legion(predicate) fans, but rarely involved the conquest of a complete terrace. (King, 1997) The above quote canvassn from Anthony Kings article on the post-modernity of football hooliganism exhibitions us that the motif of hooliganism has similarities with the concept of war. This is not only shown through my own evidence, but also by football hooligans themselves. During liquidation, the British legions would claim other territories in different countries and claim them as incision of Britain.They would do this by capturing towns and cities, and forcing the surrender of the national people. The last-ditch aim was to protect Britain and also show t he world that we were a strong, independent commonwealth, with a powerful force, that could take over other nations with ease. Today, war is conducted differently. Colonisation is a thing of the past, kind of of taking over and claiming other nations, the British army demonstrate their presence in other countries, and set up base camps inside fall outside towns as their own to claim these as part of their territory. football game hooligans use a technique similar to that of the colonisation period. On a match day, hooligans will show their strength and power by attempting to claim something of the oppositenesss. This varies from terraces to pubs, and sometimes to alleys. During my interview with Darren, he supported this claim by stating, when asked for an ex computer programation of football hooliganism, Just taking liberties, spillage to other peoples manors, in their pubs, taking over, calling them out, support our territory, and taking over theirs (Darren, individual( prenominal) interview, Jan 2012).Most hooligans will indorse that the method of taking enemy territory is trashing the place they have captured. This is significant to the process of claiming territory as it places a give chase on the oppositions name, letting them and other firms realize that they the ability to control, sometimes with the use of specialised stickers with the perpetrators speck (which is usually the clubs emblem and a short message). In footing of similarities with war, when the British army would claim a territory for their own, they would mark it with the union jack flag, display that they were now in charge so to speak.As shown above, in basis of territory, we can see the similarities between war and football hooliganism through the modality in which they two mark their territory and set most claiming oppositions territory. deep down both social groups, soldiers and hooligans both have the tone that they are fighting for something, a higher being tha n themselves for soldiers it is for Queen and country for hooligans it is for their team and local area. They both organise, plan and prepare for the execution of their actions, both wise to(p) the risks of their actions, and are willing to take the risks to fight for what they believe is the ultimate cause.According to T. W. Reeser (2010), one way in which to view masculinity is to look at it as an political theory, instead of an individualised creation. Observing masculinity within this context allows us to see various concepts of masculinity within different institutions and groups. This theory can work on many levels and can be associated with many institutions such(prenominal) as the army, sports and the business world. If we view the ideology of masculinity within the army, it shows us that the state needs the army to present themselves as the best they can be, an sheath being the armys slogan army, be the best.The way in which soldiers are disciplined and taught how to pr esent themselves is all part of their training in masculinity. As a soldier, the provide is what sets you apart from the public. It is the symbolic meaning of the provide and utensil that a soldier possesses that is important in presentation others their ideology of masculinity. When we, as the public, see a manly soldier, in camouflage uniform holding a gun, we instantly see what is meant to be a real man. The uniform, particularly honorary medals, shows us that the person has served his country and fought against others in battle.The uniform represents the country that the soldier is fighting for and the gun is his weapon that he uses against the opposition, to disarm and bear them. They affirm their masculinity through organised and plotted attacks, when they succeed in disarming the opposition, or a bullet that reaches its target, is a soldiers way of removing the oppositions masculinity and grammatical construction on their own. Football hooligans follow the aforementi oned(prenominal) ideology of masculinity that soldiers do. They learn from their peers how to behave and act, and have a uniform to abide by, which, like soldiers, is a symbol of their masculinity.The uniform football hooligans wear is not as such(prenominal) a line of reasoning of authority, but a statement of fashion. The uniform is receiven as the occasional(a) look, which involves tiring top brand names of polo t-shirts, jumpers, jeans and trainers, and in some cases what is known as the goggle rise, a coat which disguises your face but allows the hooligan to see through a pair of inbuilt goggles. They use this uniform to tell each other apart, a way of knowing who is there to fight and who is not. The casual look, its a way of give tongue to people apart, you know who is who. (Darren, personal interview, Jan 2012) Darren supports this in the above quote. The casual look is a uniform which symbolises their masculinity to others slightly them. As soldiers will use their g uns as another sign of masculinity and to vilify their opponents, hooligans instead will use their chants and songs. The chants and songs are specifically created to vilify their rivals, and mostly speak of the opposition as being sexually perverse, diminutive priapic references and mocking their sexual performance.This is supported by Anthony King in his article on the post-modernity of football hooliganism. Through the support of a football team, the male fan affirms his status as a man (in the eyeball of his peers and himself) and also articulates the nature of that manhood. A central formula in the re- constitution of manhood in football is the communal chanting in which fans participate. Through these songs, male fans re-affirm and re-negotiate the partially sub-conscious idea of their masculinity. (King, 1997)In terms of masculinity within the army and football hooliganism, we can see that the similarities are, the way each uses a uniform and weapon as a symbol of their mas culinity. Although the uniform and weapons are different, the way each presents themselves within their uniform and the way they use their weapon to vilify and remove their rivals masculinity is similar. It is a way in which each know who their rivals are. Which also links in with the moral codes that each social group abides by. Any armed conflict involves two broad categories of individuals Combatants and non-combatants (who are also referred to as civilians). world(prenominal) humanitarian law protects both categories of person, though non-combatants are shield more than those who take up ordnance (Byers, 2005) In the above quote, Michael Byers explains the humanitarian law that armies around the world are expect to follow. The British army abide by these and use them as a moral code as well as a law. The harming of civilians is prohibited, and only other combatants can be return fired at.As said in terms of masculinity, the army uses uniforms and weapons as a means of telling combatants and non-combatants apart. The harming of an innocent civilian can prompt an authorised prosecution of the soldier who open fired, unless there is probable evidence to claim that they believed the individual was in fact a combatant. Football hooligans also follow a strict moral code similar to that of the army. Football hooligans distinguish each other through the robes they wear and the chants they use.It is an unspoken rule that if someone is not part of the hooligan culture thus they cannot be harmed or made to participate in the battles that take place. This is shown in a quote from Darrens interview The casual look, its a way of telling people apart, you know who is who We dont just kick the f**k out of a random person, only people who demand to have a row back. (Darren, personal interview, Jan 2012) This sets football hooliganism apart from just random street fights. With the presence of moral codes, we can see that football hooliganism is more developed and st rategically fit then first thought.It is not simply about fighting like primitive men in the streets, but about the preparation and planning that contact it, the certainty that where you are going will not be surrounded by civilians who do not want to be part of this culture. The consequences of a civilian being harmed is most likely the shame that will be burdened upon you by your peers, and in some cases, taught a lesson in that you will be expected to receive punishment through violence by your peers who are ranked more superior then you.Continuing on the theme of similarities, the humanitarian laws and moral codes that both social groups follow is similar in the way that each are expected to abide by rules that prevent them from harming civilians who are not involved in their particular conflict. The consequences of their actions, should they breach this, is the prosecution of themselves through salute marshals and/or violent punishment from their superiors. As presented abov e, we can see that war and football hooliganism have various similarities.This shows us that we can explain football hooliganism in terms of war using three attributes Territory, masculinity and the humanitarian law/ moral codes that both must abide by. Although the ultimate goal can be seen as forthwith different, it is the way in which both of these social groups plan and participate in their battles. The taking of territory and convinced(p) their presence is similar in that both mark the territory claimed with the use of a flag or sticker.The uniform and weapon is symbolic for both, in the way it presents and confirms their masculinity, whilst causing a negative impact on their oppositions masculinity. When fighting, both will abide by the same rules that civilians are not to be harmed in any way, or face the consequences of going against these rules, which involves being persecuted by others superior than themselves. Although soldiers fighting in wars are tagged as passionate heroes, whilst football hooligans are vilified as thugs, we can notice the similarities of the two social groups when fixed in the context of war.The addictive adrenaline bombinate associated with each group during battle is what spurs them on, gives them the power to dungeon fighting, and is what keeps them going back for more. Darren describes this buzz as separate than sex. (Darren, personal interview, Jan 2012) Throughout this essay, masculinity has made a continuous appearance, in some cases it is more disguised, but still apparent. This shows us that masculinity, and proving they have an adequately surface manhood, is the real connection behind war and football hooliganism.Overall, the best way to explain football hooliganism is in the same context as war through territory, humanitarian law/ moral codes and of course, masculinity. BIBLIOGRAPHY Byers, M (2005). War Law Understanding international law and armed conflict. capital of the United Kingdom Atlantic books. p. 9. King, A. (Dec 1997). The Postmodernity of Football Hooliganism. The British Journal of Sociology. 48 (4), p. 576-593. Orwell, G (1945). The Sporting Spirit. London Tribune. Reeser, T. W (2010). Masculinities in theory An introduction. London Blackwell Publishing. Chapter 1.