Argumentative Essay

Name Dr. Margaret E. Salifu CWR1A Section 024 Argumentative Essay 22 July 2023 Self-Identity and Belongingness: How Fans Create Hostility and Aggression The sentiment which David Zahl espouses after witnessing a Guns N’ Roses concert, highlights the hostility of a fan base. As Zahl narrates in the article, “On the Seculosity of Fandom," he once encountered friendly-appearing fans who suddenly transformed into threatening attackers without any trigger, and this led to an analysis of the natural character of faithful fans. Zahl's experience, supported by his analysis, shows that the fans consciously pursue key motives in forcing conflict: identity confirmation and a sense of kinship. This phenomenon is also supported by the Social Identity Theory, which states that people have part of their self-identities in their groups, which may involve fighting. For fans, conflict ensures personal and group affirmation of identity. This claim is backed up by “On the Seculosity of Fandom," where Zahl relates an event at a Guns N’ Roses concert where fanatical fans acted violently, thus depicting broader fan culture. Zahl stresses that the kind of behavior described is not random but reflective of the processes in fan communities. This is evidenced by Zahl stating, “Unlike regular fans, stans see themselves as crusaders, pledging loyalty and rushing to their idol’s defense against dissenters.” This assertion is supported by social identity theory, which posits that a person's self-identity comes from the groups to which he or she belongs. There are behaviors associated with the need to maintain group distinctiveness. Moreover, fans claim their “aggressiveness” as part of their identities by planning to fight with other fans. It means that such instances are not being done by accident. Zahl iterates that fans embrace this as part of their identities because the need for identity affirmation and belonging drives individuals to seek conflict to solidify their place within a group. This is evident as Zahl stated a metaphor comparing fandom with that of religious groups saying, And Christians certainly take up for Jesus on Twitter when he gets slagged off. They root for him, big time, sometimes brawling with those on other teams, taking his identity as their own. Plus, a lot of the fan forums have pretty bad design…(Zahl). Knapton, et al.'s study observes that fans’ behavior, particularly in football, is influenced by personality factors and a sense of belongingness. This study may be used in understanding that personality factors contribute to fan aggression, including the necessity to belong and sensitivity to rejection. In their study they noted that communal desire, and rejection sensitivity established that the receiving party is willing...