ABSTRACT
In this chapter, the author discusses sport and socialisation, and the process of socialisation in general and the theories of socialisation. To better understand socialisation in general, it is important to address two elements: theories of socialisation and agents of socialisation. Three theories commonly associated with socialisation are social learning theory, cognitive development theory and symbolic interactionism. The socialising agents commonly identified include family, peers, school and media. Thinking about what is involved in forming attitudes, and attitudes influencing behaviour, the author identifies that cognitive development would play a role in becoming a loyal team fan. He describes previous work that has been done on sport and socialisation. Consistent with previous research, the author assesses the importance of persons, specifically family members, coaches and players. The results were consistent with previous work; the person reported to have the most impact on someone becoming a fan of a particular team was a father.
