Sports Teams

Description:

This is a photo of a boys broomball team from my hometown, the Estevan Raiders.

Sociological Interpretation:

Social groups can be defined as two or more people who identify with one another, share common goals and values, and accept expectations and obligations as being members of this group. Social groups are found basically everywhere, but there are different levels of them. For example, society can be considered a large social group, and a team of any sport or recreational activity would be a smaller social group. People in social groups hold a sense of unity with the other members, and while apart from these groups they may be involved in groups separate from teammates, or some may be in many different groups together, but once they all join on the team they find some common ground with each other. They share similiar goals, values, and loyalty is expressed between them.

A team of any kind is an example of an in-group. Members of an in-group are loyal to eachother, and they will create boundaries between themselves and others who may be competitively threatening. Out-groups are the groups to which the in-group sees competition and provokes. The members of the in-group usually dress alike to distinguish themselves from the out-groups (jerseys, jackets, hats, etc.), they compete against the out-group (which usually strengthens the unity in the group) and the members usually look negatively to the out-group but see themselves as positive.

You can definately see all of the above when watching sports games. There always seems to be some kind of tension between the two teams (sometimes there is little tension, but oftentimes it is very visible and can be felt throughout the crowd). In physical sports such as hockey and broomball, the teams often fight with eachother, defend their teammates, and retaliate in a negative way (penalties, etc). All teams wear some kind of distinguishing clothing or items that show what team they are a part of, be it a certain color, a jersey, nametags, jackets, etc. When these people are wearing their uniforms, there is a definite sense of belonging and unity between them all, and anyone who has played on a sports team is sure to have felt that feeling before. Often, once the jerseys come off, the in-groups and the out-groups leave the competitiveness with their jerseys and they may form other social groups with eachother.

Social groups are important in society, as they can shape who we are and give us a sense of belonging. Everyone is involved in social groups, and most are involved in a wide variety of them; on teams, friends, family, study groups, close co-workers, etc.