Globalization American-Style and Reference Idol Selection

Abstract

While there have been significant refinements in the scholarly development of the sport and Americanization/globalization literature in recent years, the individual, psychosocial consequences resulting from the intersection of global forces and local cultures remain largely unexplored. A sample of 510 New Zealand youth (average age = 14.5 yrs) was administered a survey instrument to identify their public heroes and heroines (reference idols), that is, celebrity others who are ‘very important in your life’. Statistical analysis of these data as well as movie and television consumption patterns revealed that these youth are heavily influenced by global media in general and American popular culture in particular. The data suggested that the influence of popular American cultural icons (e.g. Michael Jordan, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jim Morrison, Michael Jackson) extended well beyond simple admiration for some respondents to include impacts on beliefs, values, self-appraisals, and behaviors. It was concluded that focusing on adolescent reference idol choices and their identityrelated consequences is a promising approach to understanding the influence of the ‘global’ on the ‘local’.

Sports idols of senior athletes

“…Balswick and Ingoldsby (1982) surveyed American adolescents and found that seven male heroes were selected for every one female heroine. Melnick and Jackson (2002) found that 78.4% of chosen idols were males and 21.6% females. Crosstabulations revealed that 89.8% of the males chose a same-sex idol while just 10.2% 'crossed over' and chose a female.…”

“…Fleming, Hardman, Jones, and Sheridan (2005) also found that elite young British rugby league players dominantly choose idol from their sport. Exceptions were vol- Melnick and Jackson (2002): domestic idol choose 36% of American and 34.2% of New Zealand sample. But, there was statistically significant difference between male and female respondents according to origin of chosen idol and also between respondents from different branches of sports according to origin of chosen idol.…”

Talking About Trayvon in 140 Characters

“…Through responding to questions from followers, athletes can use Twitter to foster discussions, or as was the case with many players here, to refute problematic comments from followers. Considering that athletes can influence fans' beliefs and attitudes (Melnick & Jackson, 2002), using Twitter to voice opinions about social and political issues can potentially raise awareness among fans who may see that the issue is important to their favorite athlete, perhaps sparking more interest for them in those subjects. Using Twitter as a forum to engage followers about social and political issues is a valuable way that athletes can perform activism, although such efforts are likely to be met with skepticism and resistance.…”

“…African American sports icons such as Muhammad Ali, Arthur Ashe, Tommie Smith, and John Carlos used their achievements, prominence, and the global sports stage to bring attention to various topics during the Civil Rights Movement (Agyemang, Singer, & DeLorme, 2010). This advocacy is important, because athletes' influence extends beyond athletic admiration and may affect fans' attitudes and beliefs (Melnick & Jackson, 2002).…”

Heroes as Predictors of Future Employees’ Behaviour

“…A popular actor/actress can unlikely give the child or adolescent personalised advice relevant for their life paths what can be, and usually is, given by a parent. From psychological perspective, children or adolescents can view such people as their heroes [13] (or, as other theorists term them, idols [14], examples [15], role models [16], or behavioural models [17]). The effect of heroes on children and adolescents' behaviour has been covered by a number of surveys from various perspectives [18].…”