Citation

Lewis JM. Int. J. Mass Emerg. Disasters 1986; 4(2): 211-225.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1986, International Sociological Association, International Research Committee on Disasters)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

This paper develops a protocol for the comparative analysis of violent sports crowds. It argues that the study of fan violence should be theoretically informed and methodologically grounded. It describes the primary and secondary sources that can be used in the study of sport fan violence, particularly when the investigator is not present when the violence happens. The paper begins with a review of Smelser's model of collective behavior. It argues that the determinants of collective behavior proposed by Smelser are useful for analyzing fan violence. It is suggested that scholars should approach fan violence with a triangulation strategy. Triangulation is developed using primary and secondary sources. The sources include site visits, personal interviews, newspaper stories, photographs, and police documents. Studies from the United States and England are used to illustrate the protocol.