MECHANISMS OF NEGATION IN FIGURE SKATING FAN SUBCULTURE

The article discusses the features of the functioning of a sports fan subculture, formed under the influence of
high competition in figure skating. The relevance of the topic of the article is related to the need to study the
problem of the negative impact of radical fans on sports reality. This is due to the fact that it is the radicalized subjects of the fan subculture that show the traits of negative identity. Thus, the author aims to study
and identify the mechanisms of negative identity expression in the Internet communication of sports fans. For this, various methods of negation towards Others were considered, as well as the reasons provoking the aggressive behavior of a radical fan; concepts fan and radical fan are differentiated. Using the methods of participant observation and content analysis, the results were obtained, which allow us to identify the following specific settings of the fan's behavioral model, which is characterized by an aggressive reaction to the Other: 1. The fan object achieves results contrary to the wishes or rates of the coach, any achievements are solely the personal merit of the athlete; 2. The professional environment is opposed to the fan object, experts or journalists who criticize the fan object are either corrupt or incompetent; 3. A certain achievement of an athlete is elevated to an absolute. Conclusions are formulated confirming that fans construct their own «sports reality», the ideal model of the fan object and the image of the enemy on non-rational, emotional grounds. Rigidly and aggressively defending the truth of their position in the space of professional activity of an idol, fans use a special conceptual apparatus, assign themselves the status of an expert; interpret expert opinions in their optics; or deny his opinion, based on the belief in the bias of a specialist.