Soccer culture in Israel: a state of anomie

Abstract

This article provides a conceptual analysis of contemporary soccer culture in Israel. The analysis focuses on the cultural consequences of recent shifts toward market-oriented and televised soccer. It is suggested that these developments encouraged members of the middle class to become involved with the culture of soccer, which had until now been solely perceived as a working class sport. Consequently current soccer culture includes a mixture of working and middle class norms and values that constitutes an 'anomistic' state of ambiguity. This contention is illustrated by making reference to recent incidents involving soccer practitioners.