Managing violent behavior: a case study on the Bonek football club supporters in Indonesia

ABSTRACT

Football supporters have an inseparable relationship with their favorite clubs, providing full support to their clubs. However, excessive behavior often leads to violence and aggression. Therefore, the presence of a coordinator in communities of football supporters is extremely important. This study analyzed the role of a coordinator as an agent in managing violent behaviors of Bonek supporters, which resonated with Giddens’ primary concern in the structuration theory. In this theory, the concept of the structure must be reconstructed to relate, not to a social entity that is purely external to the human being, but wherein the structure is both the condition and consequence of human action. This research was conducted in Surabaya, Indonesia, with the coordinator and supporter community functioning as informants. Data were collected through interviews, observations, and documentations. Data analysis included collecting, reducing, and presenting data and drawing conclusions. This research indicates that the coordinator role as an agent becomes an essential and significant leadership quality of Bonek supporters as a social structure in the football community.

KEYWORDS:

• Agency
• Bonek supporters
• coordinator
• managing
• structuration
• violent behavior

Acknowledgements

We would like to express our sincere gratitude to the Faculty of Social Sciences and Law of Universitas Negeri Surabaya for supporting this research.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Raden Roro Nanik Setyowati

Raden Roro Nanik Setyowati is a lecturer at the State University of Surabaya. In the last 1 year, he taught 13 subjects. Have done service as many as 9. Have published scientific articles in journals as many as 33. Have books as much as 1. Obtained IPR as many as 6.

Muhammad Turhan Yani

Muhammad Turhan Yani is a lecturer at the State University of Surabaya. In the last 1 year, taught 6 courses. Has done service as much as 9. Has published scientific articles in journals as many as 85. Has books 2. Has been a speaker of scientific seminars 2. Obtained HKI 2.

Rojil Nugroho Bayu Aji

Rojil Nugroho Bayu Aji is a lecturer at the State University of Surabaya. In the last 1 year, taught 10 subjects. Has done 24 services. Has published 17 scientific articles in journals. Has 1 book work.

Madlazim

Madlazim is a lecturer at the State University of Surabaya. In the last 1 year, taught 8 courses. Have done as many as 4. Have published scientific articles in journals as many as 254. Has books as many as 4. Became speakers of scientific seminars as many as 14. Obtained IPR as many as 13.