Intense Group Behavior and Brand Negativity: Comparing Rivalry in Politics, Religion, and Sport

In previous books, the author has investigated rivalry in the context of sport and non-sport settings. This book investigates how rivalry and group member behavior manifests in the setting of politics, religion, and sport, three settings of intense group member bias. Building on the author’s Hierarchy of Out-group Derogation (HOD) and Out-group Derogation Spectrum (ODS), it discusses the potential of common interests to drive out-group cooperation. The work ends with a call for future research to better understand how to decrease out-group derogation and negativity. Incorporating research from marketing, psychology, political science, and sociology, this book offers researchers in several fields a new understanding of how setting and group membership influences the ways people view and behave toward out-groups.

Cody T. Havard is a Professor of Sport Commerce and the Director of Research in the Kemmons Wilson School at The University of Memphis, USA. He is also the Director of the Bureau of Sport and Leisure Commerce and producer/host of the Being a Fan of Disney Podcast with Cody T. Havard, Ph.D. Dr. Havard researches the rivalry phenomenon in and out of sport to better understand group member behavior and its impact on society.