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Fans and fanaticism: the vulnerability of devotion and sportswashing as exploitation.

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Title: Fans and fanaticism: the vulnerability of devotion and sportswashing as exploitation.
Authors: Wojtowicz, Jake (AUTHOR), Archer, Alfred (AUTHOR), Fruh, Kyle (AUTHOR)
Source: Philosophical Psychology. Jan2026, Vol. 39 Issue 1, p175-197. 23p.
Subjects: Fanaticism, Sportswashing, Cults, Soccer fans, Exploitation of humans, Identity (Psychology), Devotion
Abstract: Devoted sports fandom has been defended as a worthwhile undertaking that lends meaning to people's lives and shapes their very identities; on the other hand, fanaticism is widely decried as morally troubling. We sketch the similarities between fandom and fanaticism and argue that sports fandom is often a form of fanaticism. We use the fact that fandom is often regarded as a valuable thing to suggest a value-neutral account of fanaticism and argue that, in cases where the object of devotion is not problematic, it is the vulnerability to exploitation that can explain some of the evils of fanaticism. Fanaticism turns sour when the devotion fans have for their team is systematically preyed upon and exploited to disastrous effect. We illustrate this with two prominent examples of the exploitation of sports fans. Firstly, fandom leaves them open to commercial exploitation. Secondly, it explains the power and prevalence of sportswashing, a moral phenomenon that has recently had a major impact on global sports. A comparison with cults helps to highlight this evil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Copyright of Philosophical Psychology is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
Database: Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection
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  Data: Fans and fanaticism: the vulnerability of devotion and sportswashing as exploitation.
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Wojtowicz%2C+Jake%22">Wojtowicz, Jake</searchLink> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Archer%2C+Alfred%22">Archer, Alfred</searchLink> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Fruh%2C+Kyle%22">Fruh, Kyle</searchLink> (AUTHOR)
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="JN" term="%22Philosophical+Psychology%22">Philosophical Psychology</searchLink>. Jan2026, Vol. 39 Issue 1, p175-197. 23p.
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Fanaticism%22">Fanaticism</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Sportswashing%22">Sportswashing</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Cults%22">Cults</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Soccer+fans%22">Soccer fans</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Exploitation+of+humans%22">Exploitation of humans</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Identity+%28Psychology%29%22">Identity (Psychology)</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Devotion%22">Devotion</searchLink>
– Name: Abstract
  Label: Abstract
  Group: Ab
  Data: Devoted sports fandom has been defended as a worthwhile undertaking that lends meaning to people's lives and shapes their very identities; on the other hand, fanaticism is widely decried as morally troubling. We sketch the similarities between fandom and fanaticism and argue that sports fandom is often a form of fanaticism. We use the fact that fandom is often regarded as a valuable thing to suggest a value-neutral account of fanaticism and argue that, in cases where the object of devotion is not problematic, it is the vulnerability to exploitation that can explain some of the evils of fanaticism. Fanaticism turns sour when the devotion fans have for their team is systematically preyed upon and exploited to disastrous effect. We illustrate this with two prominent examples of the exploitation of sports fans. Firstly, fandom leaves them open to commercial exploitation. Secondly, it explains the power and prevalence of sportswashing, a moral phenomenon that has recently had a major impact on global sports. A comparison with cults helps to highlight this evil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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  Data: <i>Copyright of Philosophical Psychology is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract.</i> (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
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        Value: 10.1080/09515089.2025.2499626
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      – Code: eng
        Text: English
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        PageCount: 23
        StartPage: 175
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: Fanaticism
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Sportswashing
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Cults
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Soccer fans
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      – SubjectFull: Exploitation of humans
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      – SubjectFull: Identity (Psychology)
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      – SubjectFull: Devotion
        Type: general
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              M: 01
              Text: Jan2026
              Type: published
              Y: 2026
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