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Mary Jessie Floor

December 10, 2017
Professor Schaefer
Anthropology 1010

Ethnography: Signature Assignment

Introduction

As the fall season approaches during early September in the United States, many Americans

associate this time with football. It is an exciting time for family and friends to get together and

celebrate with one another. It is a time where the stadiums become full of dedicated fans and

people eagerly sit in front of their television sets to enjoy the game. The college league football

season is especially an important time in the United States. According to cultural anthropologist

and University of Notre Dame professor, John Sherry, Football encapsulates all the things about

America that make America distinct, and tailgating is a nice compliment to that(Chapla, 2012).

This occasion allows more opportunities for people of all fifty states to attend and experience a

football game. It also prepares the country and sets the stage for the National Football League

games to begin in the professional league, but most importantly, it is an occasion when people go

tailgating. In the United States, the word tailgating means to host or attend usually a informal,

social gathering in which a meal is served. This word is also the most associated with sports and

people identify a tailgating location near a sports stadium, in a parking lot.

Today, tailgating has become a routinized social activity, complete with portable grills and

coolers, foods created especially for the experience, flags representing the affiliations of the

tailgating group, and tailgaters ready to share their tailgating history(Kerstetter, 2010).

Tailgating is a moment in which individuals celebrate together. The tailgating community

engulfs a whole group of people who share the love of the game. To tailgaters and beloved sports
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fans, they view football as a way of life. For five different games over the course of three

different months, I spent over six hours with the University of Utah tailgating community. In

existence since 1869, tailgating has become a pregame ritual associated with American sporting

events (Drozda, 1996). Me, never attended a tailgating event nor knowledgeable about the

football game or reasoning was intrigued to learn more about this cultural group. I was curious to

experience what individuals do several times a month that I had never done before. Because I

had no prior experience of tailgating, I had very little preconceptions about what I was going to

be engaging with as part of my ethnographic research. When I walked in to the tailgating parking

lot for the first time to conduct my research, I did experience a sense of culture shock. I was

perplexed as to why so many people were there, all supporting the game with their team

affiliated attire. It was a cultural group I have never been immersed in before and it made me

intrigued and excited to learn more about their ways. Although I was originally overwhelmed at

first with the sports environment surrounding the tailgating events, I became pleasantly

surprised. My original expectations about tailgating changed in a positive way after spending

time within the cultural group.

Methods

For anthropologists, it is not enough to observe from a distance. We must learn about people by

participating in their daily activities, walking in their shoes, seeing through their eyes. Participant

observation gives depth to our observations and helps guard against mistaken assumptions based

on observation from a distance(Kuper 1983), (Guest, 2017). In order to conduct my

ethnographic research about the tailgating cultural group, I practiced in participant observation

by actively following and participating in their cultural activities to see through their eyes. This

method of conducting ethnographic research is described in Chapter 3, Field Work and

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Ethnography. For my period of ethnographic research, I attended the University of Utah

football tailgating events in Salt Lake City, Utah. For each visit, I attended the Guardsman Way

Tailgating Spot parking lot next to Salt Lake City Sports Complex on Guardsman Way,

conveniently right across the street from Rice Eccles Stadium. Within each visit, I went to a

designated party. Each party in the tailgating lot must have tailgating pass which is valid for the

entire season of the year. This pass permits the tailgater to have two parking spots for their party.

This allows them to have enough space to accommodate their guests. However, there are some

other tailgating groups who claim more than two parking spots for their lot because they will

typically have a trailer or large truck that needs more room. Early in my ethnographic research, I

learned from one tailgater in the group I observed that individuals who wish to have a tailgating

pass in the Guardsman Way parking lot and season tickets to the game, along with other practical

purposes, must be Crimson Club members. Each Crimson Club member must contribute a yearly

donation that goes to the University of Utah football team. The minimum annual donation to be a

member of the Crimson Club is $100. All the tailgating lots use pre-assigned passes for specific

locations within the lots. Currently, the one-time fee to register one of these passes is $3,500.

The party I was with holds three passes for a total of six parking spots. This allows the party to

have space to conveniently park their vehicles in the lot. The yearly cost for each pass is $700.

This annual cost amounts to a $2,100 shared cost which is shared by all of the participants in the

party. This allows party members to attend. Those who partake in this sharing cost must also

commit to taking turns hosting each party and covering the costs involved in this aspect.

For a total of six and a half and hours over a period of five visits, or five games, I conducted my

fieldwork observation by attending the designated party tailgating spot. Upon my arrival to each

observation day, I would enter the Guardsman Way tailgating parking lot and head directly to my
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associated party. There, I would interact and engage with the party members. They also shared

their hospitality with me by offering me food and beverages as a guest. At the party, there were

table and chairs provided for each event. This allowed the party members to sit down

comfortably and engage with one another. At this time, I got to interact with them the most. We

would share information with one another and discuss topics while dining together. At this time

that I was with the party, I was completing participant observation because I actively participated

in everything they did. I spent most of my time observing the cultural group through the party.

This time I spent with the party also allowed me to conduct informal interviews with the party

members. After the meal was finished at the party, I would routinely walk around the whole

tailgating parking lot observing the other participants. By doing this, I also got to communicate

with other people outside of the party I resided with. In my spare time, I would concentrate on

doing this, spending time observing the whole cultural group. I tried to ensure that I got to see all

aspects of the community. I would walk all around the event location writing my ethnographic

field notes and observing the whole scene. By establishing this routine, I was able to successfully

conduct my ethnographic fieldwork and observations. Participating in the partys activities and

routines also allowed me to elaborate my research of the entire cultural group. The party gave me

great insight as to what each party at the tailgating events is like and what they do. My research

method allowed me to investigate the tailgating community efficiently, discovering a new culture

to me that I learned much about.

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2017 Utah Football Ticket Prices image provided by the University of Utah.
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2016 Football Parking map provided by the University of Utah. Ethnographic research location is shown in red, Guardsman Lot.
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Language

According to cultural anthropologist John Sherry, tailgating rituals are bustling microcosms

of society where self-regulatory neighborhoods foster inter-generational community, nurture

tradition and build the teams brand(Carter, 2012). The tailgating cultural group is very much a

community in many aspects. The tailgating group utilize effective communication and language

that helps establish their community. They have created, in a sense, neighborhoods. They ack

like neighbors with one another in their language and communication styles. This is because

most tailgating participants have attended the games for years and years in the same location.

According to Sherrys observation on the tailgating group, What we really found was a real

active and orchestrated effort in community building(Carter, 2012). The communication style of

the tailgating cultural group allows them to interact with one another in a positive manner.

Because of their unique style, there is a great sense of friendliness, interaction, and support.

Tailgating is primarily a social event, therefore, there is constant interaction and communication

among the participants. Because they are all commonly football fans, there is a great deal of

lingo, slang, and jargon use in their conversations that are referenced to football.

Typical words that tailgaters use to describe the movements in the game include punt which is

when the kicker drops the ball and kicks it before hitting the ground. Other words that tailgaters

commonly use include end zone, fumble, offsides, and draw play. People who are unaware of the

game of football would not understand what the cultural group is communicating, as did I not

know. I had to learn these terms and the tailgaters use of lingo and jargon in their conversations

to understand what they were talking about. This language style is very crucial to the social

atmosphere of the events because they are all there for the football game. When there is

discussion about other topics that football, it is commonly discussion about the individuals life.
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Most tailgating participants, especially within the party I observed, like to discuss topics such as

education, family structure, and hobbies. The demeanor of the tailgating crowd is quite pleasant

and friendly. There is very little discussion about more complex topics such as politics that might

lead to argument. Because the participants are at the event to celebrate a special occasion, such

as the game, they are in good spirits, and it shows in their language style and communication.

Even when the tailgating participants are not in conversation, they use non-verbal

communication. They present themselves in a friendly and approachable manner in their body

language. When in conversation, they position themselves in a relaxed stance. They are also

personal in their conversation manner in that they stand close to the person they are talking to

and like to use physical contact such as handshakes, hugs, high fives, etc. From observing the

cultural group, I believe there is such a relaxed yet friendly environment and attitude in the

culture because they all support the same team. However, if there were attendees who support

the opposing team, this attitude and their communication style would be very different. Overall,

sharing the same interests and supporting the same team allows the culture to communicate

effectively.

Conversation is the main draw for participants to attend the tailgating events. The events provide

an opportunity for family members, friends, and acquaintances to catch up with one another.

Surprisingly, some tailgating participants are more interested in the conversations with others

than the game itself. It is not just the game that draws them to the events, it is the conversation,

the other people that will be there, the food, entertainment, and overall atmosphere. Finally, from

my observations, it is notable that the overall communication style of the tailgaters is outgoing.

Especially within each individual tailgating party, the host is constantly engaging with his guests

to make sure that everyone is included and having a good time.

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Economic Practices

Economy is evident in any cultural group. Each cultural group has their system of distribution.

Economic practices of a cultural group enables them to function and can also define them. The

three main components of any economy include production, distribution, and consumption.

There are also economic practices within a cultural group such as reciprocity, barter, and

redistribution. After observing the tailgating culture, the main economic system practiced are the

categories of redistribution and reciprocity. Redistribution serves as the main incentive for

participant to attend the tailgating gatherings. This is because they anticipate a redistribution of

resources such as food. Food is one of the most important elements of any tailgating event. Food

is a main method of redistribution within the culture. Food is not exchanged for money, rather it

is redistributed by the tailgating host to the party members. The cost for hosting a party and

accommodating the guests is not solely reliant on one individual. For example, it is common that

individuals of the same party will help the host, sharing the cost and preparation with them. After

spending time within the party I observed, this was very common. For each game, the party

members would take turns hosting. The hosts are also fairly selected, and it is made sure that the

host has the complete necessities, financially, to host the party. This was a fair technique for the

party members and allowed the hosts to manage their costs. Even if a host is completely able and

fit to host on their own, members always offer to help them as much as they can.

The tailgating community has a fair economic system in which everyone participates and

contributes their efforts for the overall greater cause of the community. They work together to

ensure that the community as a whole is benefited in return. This form of distribution is called

reciprocity, and there are two kinds of reciprocity evident in the cultural group. They include

generalized reciprocity and balanced reciprocity. Generalized reciprocity is specifically common

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within the tailgating group. The tailgating host provides several forms of gifts to his guests

including food, entertainment, and shelter. Although the host invests his time and money into

these provided gifts, he does not expect an immediate return or a direct exchange of food,

entertainment, and shelter. However, he does expect gratitude from the guests in return. The

greatest gift that a tailgating host can receive in return for their efforts is the guests showing that

they are having a good time. This is why this type of reciprocity is called generalized, not

specific, because it is sought out for in the returned form of respect rather than a reimbursement

of cash and goods.

Balanced reciprocity is another example of an economic system demonstrated within the cultural

group. Generally, this type of reciprocity occurs between more distantly related individuals. This

form of reciprocity is used when the tailgating host pays the fee to obtain a pass for a spot in the

tailgating parking lot in order to hold their parties. Crimson Club members pay a fee to the

University of Utah to obtain a direct exchange of goods, such as a spot in the parking lot. This is

considered a balanced form of reciprocity because there is a balanced form of exchange. Other

transactions made my tailgating members are evident forms of balanced reciprocity. For

example, tailgating participants who wish to attend the game must pay for their tickets in order to

receive admission into the stadium. Finally, this is a distant form of exchange, rather than direct,

because they do not personally know the individual or individuals they are paying in order to

receive a service in exchange. However, without this form of reciprocity, tailgating members

would not be able to participate, and tailgating events would not be able to occur. Overall, the

economic system used by the tailgating community is efficient and effective, enabling

participants to join. It is also a system that supports the University of Utah and its athletes to

enable them to continue playing.

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Participants enjoying food distributed by the party host

Leadership

Demonstrating leadership is an important role in the tailgating cultural group. They not only

demonstrate leadership to their team, but they show leadership to one another in the group. There

is a prominent role of leadership that the host of each party must uphold and demonstrate. There

is no form of political organization in the cultural group. Although each individual member their

own political views, they do not let them collide with the festivities. Because the tailgating

members understand that political differences can lead to debate and argument, they avoid

discussing politics at tailgating events. Therefore, there is no political tension in the cultural

group. There is also not one leader that controls everything. Rather, people all demonstrate their

own form of leadership to benefit the community. This leadership is evident through their

participation. They demonstrate leadership through their support for their team as well. They do

not argue or have any conflicts about who is the leader because it is a communal group.

Everything is shared. For example, the party hosts take turns hosting each event party. This also
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gives everyone in the party a chance to be a leader. Even if there is only one host at a time,

everyone shares leadership responsibilities. Some party members will demonstrate their

leadership by directly helping the host or bringing food to share. However, the best way

members can show their leadership is by attending the game and demonstrating that they are

having a good time at the hosts party.

Marriage and Family

Marriage practices and family structure are important elements of any cultural group. Each

cultural group has their own ideas of kinship and descent practices. Within the tailgating cultural

group, there are many different kinship and descent practices. As a general observation of the

tailgating crowd, the younger generation is unmarried. The younger generation is composed of

primarily students in their young or mid-twenties. This demographic of participants are typically

college students who are currently attending the University of Utah. These tailgating participants

are more concentrated in their studies and their occupations than marriage. Although they are not

interested in marriage at this stage in their lives, they are quite interested in other relationships,

especially intimate relationships. In fact, most young tailgating participants attend the tailgating

events in order to socialize, connect, and form relationships. Young participants are eager in

finding a potential girlfriend or boyfriend at the tailgating events. This is evident through

observations of the crowd as the young men and women are mingling and talking amongst one

another at the events. The married members of the tailgating cultural group come to the tailgating

events with their spouse. Most tailgating parties are formed through marriage and family

relationships. Many tailgating parties consist of husbands, wives, children, cousins, aunts, uncles,

etc. Biological relationships are evident in most if not all tailgating parties.
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There is a sense of family connection that forms at tailgating events between non-biologically

related tailgating members. As previously mentioned, the tailgating community is similar to a

large neighborhood where everyone knows one another. According to an article that discusses

social relationships of University football fans, tailgating members call other parties their

neighbors. Across the street sat Brad Shephard and his family. Theyve been tailgating since

the 1970s, and people they met at the parking lot parties threw a wedding shower for her and his

wife, Mary(Carter, 2017).

Within the tailgating party I attended, the majority of the part members are biologically related to

one another. They are typically cousins, aunts, and uncles. After speaking with the party

members, they said they enjoy going to the tailgating events because it gives them an opportunity

for them to get together with their family and friends. The kinship structure and relationships in

the party are formed through descent. Because the tailgating party are all of Greek descent, their

spouse are Greek as well. This means that they practiced endogamy, which is marriage within

ones same cultural group and ethnicity. However, there are other tailgating party members

whos marriages have been formed by exogamy, which is marriage between two different

cultural groups. After observation of other tailgating parties, as a generalization, most marriage

relationships are formed by exogamy. The tailgating cultural group is very family oriented.

Family like relationships are formed at each tailgating event. This great sense of family and

connection is what draws participants in to each event. I remember speaking to one tailgating

participant as to why they come to tailgating described the tailgating culture as one big family.
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A young couple enjoying the tailgating event

Male and female college students playing a game together

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Religion

There is much diversity in the tailgating cultural group. Each participant is different, therefore

there are many different religious groups within the tailgating culture. Because the tailgating

community centers around the University of Utah football team located in Salt Lake City, the

overall majority of the participants are LDS. Although there are many diverse religions within

the group, LDS members comprise the majority of the tailgating population. The majority of

LDS participants have been long term residents of Utah. When speaking with young college

students in the tailgating group, especially those who are attending the University of Utah, they

said they are either non religious or another religion besides LDS. I found this interesting but

made me realize that the general demographic students attending the University of Utah are not

Utah natives or LDS. From my observations, it is evident that the University of Utah tailgating

community is diverse in part because of its diverse students which come from different cultures,

ethnicities, religions, etc. This diversity in the tailgating community is quite different than that of

a tailgating event at the Brigham Young University in Utah. This is because all of the students

who attend Brigham Young University are LDS, meaning that most if not all supporters of the

football team are also LDS. Overall, when comparing the University of Utahs tailgating

community to that of Brigham Young Universitys, there is more religious diversity within the

University of Utah tailgating events.

There are non-religious rituals that occur within the tailgating events. These rituals are intended

to make the football team play good and win. There are chants, songs, and phrases that are heard

before the game begins. Many participants will have magical charms with them, especially

clothing. There is one specific community member that wears the same outfit, hairstyle, and face

paint to each tailgating event and game. He believes that by doing this, the team will perform
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well and ultimately win. Even when the team loses, he will always wear the same attire the

following game as a good luck charm. Another example found in an article about University of

Utah football fans discusses non-religious rituals, University of Utah football fan Jacque

Jackman has been tailgating outside Eccles Stadium for 15 years with Gus, a fully decked-out

trailer. Gus is as much a part of the scene as the barbecue and beer, and passersby join in the

family tradition of "kissing Gus' ass," smooching the back of the trailer as if it were the Blarney

Stone. Lipstick imprints are left until the next season(Carter, 2017).

Certain religious practices of the community members is also evident in the food and clothing

they wear. For example, within the tailgating group I am observing, the majority of them are

Greek Orthodox. Because their culture and religion is a big part of their lives, it is shown in their

food. They will usually serve traditional Greek dishes, unlike other groups who will usually

always serve American style hamburgers and hotdogs. As a general observation, religious

community members, especially those who are LDS will dress more modestly. Those who are

not affiliated with a religion or non LDS will be dressed in more costume attire.

Religious diversity within the tailgating cultural group is very expressive. Tailgating events are a

place for people of all different backgrounds, religions, ethnicities, etc. to come together and

enjoy the game. Individuals are not judged based on their religious identities. Religion is not a

big aspect of the tailgating community. Because of this, there is little incentive for argument and

conflict within the group. Religion in the community stands for diversity and diversity only. I

have learned from my observations and participation in the cultural group that the tailgating

community members put all differences aside and accept one another. They do not practice

discrimination according to my participation. Individuals of different religions are encouraged to

join in and accepted.

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Creative Expression

Within the tailgating cultural group, there are many elements of art and creative, artistic

expression. The tailgating participants have the freedom to express themselves how they choose.

There are no limitations or guidelines as to what tailgating participants can wear. It is evident

through my observations that tailgating members choose their own personal style of dress and

control their own outward appearance. Each individual dresses as an individual, even though the

majority of the crowd are dressed in apparel affiliated to the University of Utah. Some tailgating

participants use their artistic abilities to transform their team attire. For example, participants

choose to wear homemade game attire such as skirts, headpieces, or shirts. Highly enthusiastic

participants will even paint their faces or change their hair color to red with dye. Community

members also have tattoos referenced to the University of Utah, its team, or football I general.

Their body art serves as a form of identification and expression for them. It enables them to

express their believes, interests, and stories. These sports affiliated tattoos might seem odd to the

outsider, but once you are emerged in the tailgating community, you understand that sports and

football are a lifestyle, just as tailgating is. All of these examples are forms of artistic expression

that the crowd uses to express through their outward appearance. There are also forms of art

within the cultural group. For example, within each party, they will have their own form of art,

whether that is music or dance. This allows the group to express themselves as well as unite and

celebrate with one another. All of these elements combined support identity within the cultural

group as well as tailgating cultural group identity as a whole.

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A participants personalized van to demonstrate their creative expression and team spirit

Values

One of the main reasons why tailgating community members interact so well with one another is

because they share the same sentiments, behaviors, norms, and especially values. Because of

their shared values, bonds are formed within the community. Tailgating participants are

considered some of the greatest sports fans possible because they value loyalty and commitment

to the team. They show upmost dedication to the University of Utah football team. Although

they enjoy their team to be consistent and win, the way they play does not influence their loyalty

to them. They will always remain fans of their beloved team through the thick and thins, through

the losses and wins. They value showing support for their team. Tailgating community members

spend countless hours of preparation, standing in the cold weather for hours, and cheering as

loud as they can, all for their team. Football fans and tailgating community members sacrifice a

lot of their time for the sake of the game. Especially those who attend the game, typically spend

hundreds of dollars on one ticket, just to watch their team play. Odds are, the team is not going to
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win every game. This is inevitable and expected in any sport, but they decide to risk it all

anyways just to show their support. When their favorite team does win, it is a memorable

experience that they treasure. It gives them a great feeling of joy, success, and accomplishment.

Even if their team loses the game, it is an experience they remember. So much of going to the

game and going to the tailgating event is about the experience.

The tailgating cultural group also values optimism and positivity. These are the core values of

any sports fan. It is important to be a fan that is optimistic and positive, even when the team is

not doing as well as they should be doing. I have noticed these values so strongly amongst the

tailgating participants. For example, they stand out in a parking lot rain or shine. Even when it

has been very cold or raining, they remain optimistic. They dont let these things get in the way

of them from having a good time and celebrating. They dont let the negatives outweigh the

positives ever, because to them, nothing gets in the way of tailgating and the game. This positive

outlook on any situation is what makes the tailgating cultural group such a great group to

experience and be a part of. I believe these values combined comprise an overall term to describe

their values: passion.

Besides passion, each tailgating community member values respect for one another. They honor

compassion, good humor, and service to others. They also value honesty, reliability, and

dependability. These values are especially true within individual tailgating parties. Each party

values and expects each party guest to respect one another and get along, avoiding any conflicts.

The party host must value commitment and honesty to the group because the party participants

expect the host to be reliable and dependable in return. The core values of the tailgating cultural

group determine their harmony and well-being. Without these strong, core values, the tailgating

atmosphere would be quite different and could lead to potential conflict.

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Social Norms

There are outside misconceptions about tailgaters that are wrong and dont fairly identify them.

For example, most people who have not gone tailgating associate tailgaters with negative terms

such as rambunctious, loud, and obnoxious partiers. However, these misconceptions are false

because the tailgating community is quite civil in their ways and attitudes. In my complete time

of observation, I did not experience any activity that was wrong or rambunctious. I did not

observe any negative attitudes, harassment, arguments, or misconduct. People also associate

alcohol and its over consumption to tailgaters and tailgating events. Similarly, in my total time of

observing the cultural group, I did not encounter or witness and moments of irresponsible

alcohol consumption. I noticed that the nature of the group is kind and responsible in their

partying. They celebrate responsibly, and they dont let alcohol be the main component of the

tailgating party. Therefore, it is expected by each tailgating party that their guests are responsible

and control their actions. It is a social norm of the tailgating community to consume alcohol in

moderation and in a safe manner.

The behavior and social norms of the tailgating community members reflect their positive values.

Because the tailgating event is a social occasion, participants demonstrate efficient, respectable,

and appropriate behavior when interacting with one another. For example, body language is a

main component of the tailgating social norms. It is important that members acknowledge one

another or when meeting someone new demonstrate some form of body language such as a

handshake, high five, or hug. In my conversations with tailgating participants, they use direct eye

contact with the person they are interacting with. Another social norm of the community is

honoring personal space. Although tailgating participants are very open in their body language

and tend to stand closer to the person when in a conversation, they still honor and respect
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peoples personal space. Although there are no laws restricting language use, the majority of

tailgating members avoid swearing or using profane language. This is because the tailgating

events are a social opportunity for people of all ages, young and old. When waiting in any line at

the tailgating event or when going to the game, the participants do not cut through the line. It is

also socially normal for participants to dress appropriately, be kind to everyone, and act polite.

Surprisingly, the social norms used by the tailgating culture are not at all different from those

that everyone has been taught since they were young. They follow rules of behavior that are

considered acceptable in society.

Conclusion

After completing my ethnographic fieldwork on the tailgating cultural group, I learned a great

deal as to what it means to be a community. I learned that tailgating gatherings are so much more

than an occasion to celebrate football. It is primarily a social opportunity for participants to get

together and have a good time. It is like one big family that supports and cares for one another.

Everyone is welcomed into the group, no matter if you like football or not. There will always be

food, shelter, and entertainment offered to you no matter what your background is. The tailgating

community does not let their differences get in the way of anything. It is a joyous occasion where

people put aside all their worries, doubts, and tensions, for the spirit of the game. It is remarkable

that such an occasion allows people to do this. Tailgating events are highly beneficial to society

because they make people happy.

I believe the method I constructed allowed me to sufficiently collect enough data and

information about the group. If I could change anything about the method I used, I would try to

implement more moments and time where I could conduct more interviews of the tailgating

participants. I was able to conduct more interviews inside of the party I was with more so than
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outside of the party. However, if I communicated with more people outside of the party, then I

would be able to collect more perspectives. I believe doing this would allow me a bit more

insight about the community.

I originally had a bit of an ethnocentric view point on the community early in my observations. I

had never been interested in football and I was shocked how so many people could support a

silly football game. I also believed originally that I would experience a lot of members

overconsuming alcohol and being childish. However, through my observations and participation,

I learned that the tailgating community does not reflect these perceptions what so ever. They are

all highly respectful community members who celebrate responsibly. I thought people only go to

tailgating events because of the alcohol, but they actually go for so many more reasons, most

importantly the social aspect of being with their family and friends. Therefore, I discovered when

observing any culture different from your own, you should approach the culture with a cultural

relativism perspective. Judging a culture based upon your own understandings of what a culture

should be like is not an effective way to learn. Cultural relativism means respecting other

cultures and treating them as good as they would their own. It is about suspending all judgments

while being with the culture. I actively tried to use cultural relativism and I believe using it

helped me to understand the culture a lot. It also helped me to discover that the tailgating cultural

group is a great community to be a part of. Originally, I would have never thought this way.

From this experience, I have learned a great deal of what it means to be a community. I have

learned that tailgating events make all people happy. It made me wish that their community and

harmony were like my own culture. I learned that tailgating is all fan-generated. They contribute

to their teams victory. If I could summarize what I have learned about the tailgating cultural

group, I would reference anthropologist John Sherry. He says that tailgating people are
 Floor 23

literally surrounding the stadium with their expressions of loyalty and love, and its much

more communal(Chalpa, 2012).

Tailgating participants celebrating on fifth game of the season, October 7th, 2017
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References

Marketing Communications: Web // University of Notre Dame. (2012, September 06). "Not
simply a party: Tailgaters contribute to team victory and even university brand, new
study shows." Notre Dame News. Retrieved December 04, 2017.
https://news.nd.edu/news/not-simply-a-party-tailgaters-contribute-to-team-victory-and-
even-university-brand-new-study-shows/.

Kerstetter, Deborah, Stansfield, M., Bae S. Y., Lindsay, U., and McKinney, M. (2010). The
Multiple Meanings Associated with the Football Tailgating Ritual. Retrieved December
04, 2017. https://www.nrs.fs.fed.us/pubs/gtr/gtr-p-94papers/06kerstetter-p94.pdf

Guest, K.K. (2017). Cultural Anthropology: A Toolkit for a Global Age. S.I.: W W Norton.

Google. (2017). [2017 Football Prices for University of Utah] Retrieved December 10, 2017,
from https://utahtickets.com/football/#single-games-and-schedule

Google. (2016). [Football Parking 2016 map for the University of Utah] Retrieved December 10,
2017, from https://commuterservices.test.utah.edu/events/parking-maps/football-master.pdf

Carter, B. (2017, June 03). Tailgate Parties Are a 'Powerful Impulse' and a Microcosm of
Society. Retrieved December 05, 2017, from
https://www.wired.com/2012/09/anthropology-of-tailgating/