A group attends a football game and sits on the side of the stadium reserved for fans of the home team. When the referee makes a call against the home team, they all look at each other and shake their heads, assuming they all feel the same about the call. How would a sociologist explain these assumptions?
A) The fans are acting based on a sense of communal agency that requires them to band together.
B) The fans understand that most people sitting on that side of the stadium share the same opinions based on the generalized other.
C) The fans have developed their own set of values that everyone on that side of the stadium must follow.
D) The fans must follow the mores of behavior for a typical football game.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The concept of the "generalized other" in sociology explains how individuals within a group or society internalize the expectations and attitudes of the wider community. In this scenario, the fans assume shared feelings about the referee's call because they believe others in their group (home team supporters) have similar perspectives and reactions, which is a manifestation of understanding behaviors and expectations through the lens of the generalized other.

A Group Attends a Football Game and Sits on the Side