In a city of ten million people, one sport was able to create an identity for its inhabitants, and represent what it meant to be a proud fan of their local team. The sport is Ice Hockey, and the city is Chicago. In the city of Chicago, people always enjoyed going to sports events, but it wasn’t until the Blackhawks became a hockey powerhouse that the city realized what it meant to be a true fan. Because of this sport, the people of Chicago were able to form their identity and be proud of a team they had fostered. In the creation of this fandom, specific trends in the way people act are evident, which distinguishes them from other sports fans. The Blackhawks fan shows a trend of masculinity, which has come to develop through the culture of
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He believes that “Masculinity is a socially constructed set of meanings, values, and practices. It is something that boys work at and stake a claim to, rather than something they grow into by virtue of being male” (Weinstein and Smith 832). This means that boys are taught that the values of masculinity should be followed in all aspects of their life. A large platform for this expression is through sport. Sport often encourages traditional masculine identifiers such as, aggression, honor, dominance, loyalty, respect, courage, instrumentality, adventure and risk-taking (Weinstein and Smith 832). This is very relatable to the study of Blackhawks fans and fighting because it discusses the deeper factors that contribute to fighting in hockey. By understanding fighting in hockey, a better comprehension of why fans might replicate this behavior can be …show more content…
The campaign was created to rebrand the NHL and uses the theme of a warrior to represent the hockey player. This symbol was closely selected since it is a common illustration of masculinity. This campaign, as well as the aggressive culture of the NHL, promotes a masculine image and mold in which players believe they should attempt to fill. Gee supposes that “the media provide men with publicly circulated images of preferred forms of masculinity that can then be incorporated into private experience” (Gee 580). Men take what they see and attempt to apply this image to themselves. Hockey is a perfect outlet for this masculinity, because the game is a place where physicality and roughness are valued and celebrated. Hitting is the norm, and players and fans enjoy its entertainment effects. It is also important to recognize that this image is not only culturally created, but promoted by the NHL itself. Although fighting is not allowed in the actual rules of hockey, by creating this manly warrior persona, they are supporting the continuation of violence in the sport. Overall, the current research on the topic of masculinity and fighting in hockey is very helpful and interesting in understanding how it affects the players. What is missing from this research, and what the analysis of the Blackhawks fandom will attempt to contribute, is how
He believes that “Masculinity is a socially constructed set of meanings, values, and practices. It is something that boys work at and stake a claim to, rather than something they grow into by virtue of being male” (Weinstein and Smith 832). This means that boys are taught that the values of masculinity should be followed in all aspects of their life. A large platform for this expression is through sport. Sport often encourages traditional masculine identifiers such as, aggression, honor, dominance, loyalty, respect, courage, instrumentality, adventure and risk-taking (Weinstein and Smith 832). This is very relatable to the study of Blackhawks fans and fighting because it discusses the deeper factors that contribute to fighting in hockey. By understanding fighting in hockey, a better comprehension of why fans might replicate this behavior can be …show more content…
The campaign was created to rebrand the NHL and uses the theme of a warrior to represent the hockey player. This symbol was closely selected since it is a common illustration of masculinity. This campaign, as well as the aggressive culture of the NHL, promotes a masculine image and mold in which players believe they should attempt to fill. Gee supposes that “the media provide men with publicly circulated images of preferred forms of masculinity that can then be incorporated into private experience” (Gee 580). Men take what they see and attempt to apply this image to themselves. Hockey is a perfect outlet for this masculinity, because the game is a place where physicality and roughness are valued and celebrated. Hitting is the norm, and players and fans enjoy its entertainment effects. It is also important to recognize that this image is not only culturally created, but promoted by the NHL itself. Although fighting is not allowed in the actual rules of hockey, by creating this manly warrior persona, they are supporting the continuation of violence in the sport. Overall, the current research on the topic of masculinity and fighting in hockey is very helpful and interesting in understanding how it affects the players. What is missing from this research, and what the analysis of the Blackhawks fandom will attempt to contribute, is how