Sociological Influences On Football

Improved Essays
Sociological Exercise #2
The United States of America is often times referred to as a “melting pot”, meaning that its culture is made up of a mixture of different beliefs, values, races, religions, and ethnicities. From this unique blended culture, the United States of America has crafted many of its own styles of food, fashion statements, media, and entertainment sources. One very popular source of entertainment in particular is football. While football seems to be just a sport, America has its own style of playing football, traditions that come with it, and symbolic meanings to the citizens who engage in, and with the game.
The idea of sports similar to football, such as Harpaston, have been around since the time of the Ancient Greeks, but
…show more content…
Some Americans have such a strong affinity for football that many go as far as to support and watch football when it is playing on major holidays, such as the National League of Football hosting games on Thanksgiving, and the National Collegiate Athletic Association playing games on New Year’s Day. But why do Americans invest so much of their time and attention into a group of men crushing each other over a …show more content…
In a way, football could even be related to that of anarchist calisthenics because as James C. Scott stated “What you need is ‘anarchist calisthenics.’…Use your own head to judge whether a law is just or reasonable.” (378). Often times, players have to make decisions in the game whether to follow the coaches’ game plan, or make the call they believe is best fit even if they were not suppose to. Because of this, a sense of uncertainty and anticipation is also created for society through football. According to George Ritzer, “…many people have come to prefer a world in which there are no surprises.” (338), and while football is somewhat predictable because there are only two possible ways the game could go, the sixty minutes spent watching the game are filled with surprises for a culture that has become so accustomed to predictability.
Throughout decades, football has surpassed several other sports as the most popular in American culture for various reasons. While not all of its effects on society have been completely positive, such as its support of aggressive behavior and highly gender specific nature, many aspects of football have helped to shape American society in beneficial ways like the spread of ideas through cultural diffusion, shaping important personal values and character traits, promoting unpredictably, by encouraging independent thinking, and by creating unity in the

Related Documents

  • Improved Essays

    Therefore, through his use of pathos, the author reveals how football “further develops and titillates the North American…

    • 692 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Astonished at how American society can be amused by such a sport, which Ryan argues that football only involves men running across a field, attacking one another fiercely in order to score a touchdown. “Perhaps you don’t think of football that way. But you should. Football is a barbaric game. In a more civilized, more genteel society, no one would even think of sanctioning such an activity” (14).…

    • 1115 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The United States, as known today, is a melting pot of various different beliefs, backgrounds, and lifestyles. Some of those who reside here have roots planted as deep as the states history goes, though many come to the United States for a new beginning. Despite the vastly different background that each individual has experience, each one can call this country home. Just as the people are, traditions casted themselves onto society and deep into the history of the United States. Particularly in the south, one of the countries greatest traditions belongs to the great sport of football.…

    • 830 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Global Effects The Super Bowl utter dominance within the U.S. fails to translate onto the international stage. It is behind a number of sports, such as soccer, rugby, even cricket. It’s American-centric base excludes the rest of the world, as other countries are much more focused on sports where their own people are competing. Even when referring to the sport, one must say “American Football”, rather than just football, as the rest of the world uses that term for soccer.…

    • 961 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Money Pit “It’s reminiscent of a shark that will die if it doesn’t keep moving and ripping little fish to shreds”, says Mark Lebovich of the New York Times. American Football has become a religion. American Football is everywhere and seems to be governed by some Constitution-like power. “The sport provides a belief system at a time when faith in so many community institutions - government, religion, actual families – is weakening.” Currently the league faces many challenges such as player health and safety, drop in youth-football participation, lawsuits and keeping the model that football was built on alive.…

    • 372 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Decent Essays

    Why should we all play football Your down by 7 you're at the 25 yard line the play comes in its twins right deep slants on one. You rush to the ball Down, Set, Hut you drop for a pass 5 seconds left you see the blitz you're running now you're wide receiver is open he's waving his hand now you launch it to him in the endzone and he jumps up for it and the pass is. Ladies and gents this is football.…

    • 457 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Decent Essays
  • Superior Essays

    Obsessive fans. Owns three days of the week. The Superbowl. America’s favorite sport. What comes to mind?…

    • 1392 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Superior Essays

    In America we eat, sleep, and breathe the game of football. Embedded in our minds at a young age most kids begin playing football competitively, for fun, or simply just watching the game as early as 4 years old. Football is a game that brings people and families closer in America and puts smiles on their faces. For example every thanksgiving there is a NFL football game played every single year. Where tons of families across the country gather around eat great food and watch grown men’s bodies get pummeled and abused for 60 minutes.…

    • 2501 Words
    • 11 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Decent Essays

    Concussions In Football

    • 411 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Football is the most popular sport in the world. This year’s Super Bowl, Which is the largest comeback in Super Bowl history. Over 111.3 million viewers. 111.3 million People made the Super Bowl the top fifth most viewed broadcast on T.V. Football players make millions of dollars each day, if people are good they could get into collage free. I want to tell you the dark side of football, about concussions, Deaths and players retiring early in my story.…

    • 411 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Decent Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The Withdraws of Football The benefits that come from playing a sport like are astounding. The extra muscles, the increase in stamina and strength as well as the development of leadership and sportsmanship skills is enough to make any sports fan enjoy the physical activities. Yet with the rise in attention regarding the potential life threatening injuries most football players sustain from the play the field, it brings up the questions many sports fans, and concerned football moms, often ask themselves: is football too dangerous of a sport. With the evidence shown supporting the allegations of football being hazardous, it’s obvious that football is too dangerous to play.…

    • 1110 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    A structural functionalist approach to answering this question would begin first with the recognition that all aspects of the larger cultural system are connected (LumenLearing). Therefore, the NFL is not simply a sports league, but rather an extension and driving force of dominant American culture. Tens of millions of Americans watch each week and even more view clips or articles on the internet. Fantasy football is itself a multi-billion industry with television programs, articles and podcasts reaching a widely dispersed audience every day. I say this to highlight the fact the football is more than football, it is what Marx described as a force for “cultural production.”…

    • 1087 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Football plays an important role in American culture. Super bowl Sunday in America is like a national holiday. Every year on the first Sunday of February family and friends gather around for a night of food, sports, laughter, and happiness. The streets are empty and the items in the grocery store are all gone. Being created here in America it has been Americans favorite pastime for the last 50 years.…

    • 835 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    From the Crowd to the Sideline The history of American football comes from the roots of rugby football and association football. The origin of these games can be traced back to Britain, where they were prevalent in the mid-19th century. In 1869, the first American game was played in New Brunswick, New Jersey, the New Jersey Tigers vs the Rutgers Queensmen. The Tigers lost their stripes to the Queensmen 4-6 in a cage match.…

    • 790 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    American Football and basketball are two of the most common sports that are played in many parts of the world. For an individual who is torn between selecting which of the two sports he should play, it can be very helpful to know the characteristics of the two sports and compare these qualities in order to select the one that interests a particular person the most. American Football and basketball have similarities and differences many people do not recognize. Both sports are highly popular and originated in the United States. Each sport has its own crazy fan base that many would not believe what some fans would do for their team like painting their bodies and dying their hair.…

    • 1029 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Many people nowadays have no clue how to play or how America’s pastime works. Football is arguably America’s favorite sport, and the lack of people who understand this game is surprising. There are many variations of this great sport with simple and specialized rules. The basic rules of the great sport can be very simple as long as you pay attention.…

    • 588 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays