How might a sociologist or anthropologist help you see this football game differently?

A sociologist and/or anthropologist might ask the following questions:

What are the rules that govern our behavior at a football game? What are the rules that govern our behavior in "the Pit" before the game? What are the rules that govern our behavior in the classroom?

How do we learn these rules?

 

What happens if we don’t learn or obey the rules? Does everyone receive the same punishment for similar violations?

 

 

 

Who makes the rules?

 

 

Do the rules change if we have a "great" team versus a "terrible" team?

 

How do rules get changed?

 

Are there rules unique to WVU football? Are there rules that apply to all football games?

 

What were the rules over 100 years ago at WVU?

What are the rules in sporting events in other countries and at other historical times?

 

 

 

 

What are the different actors involved in this game?

What role do a coach, player, band member, spectator, a cheerleader, a Mountaineer Maniac, student, faculty member, Mountaineer mascot, concession clerk, ticket taker, or security guard play in this game?

 

 

Are there patterns in terms of who is more likely to be a coach, an athlete, band member, spectator, a cheerleader, a homecoming queen, a Mountaineer Maniac, student, faculty member, Mountaineer mascot, concession clerk, ticket taker, or security guard? Have these patterns changed through time?

 

 

 

What symbols are used and what do they mean (i.e., an American Flag or the flying WV)?

What organizations and institutions are involved in the production of this sporting event?

What is the financial impact of this sporting event on the surrounding neighborhoods? the University? the town of Morgantown? the state of West Virginia?

How does something like "couch burning" get started? How does couch burning get constructed as a social problem?

Where does all that trash go?