Abstract

In the modern Ukrainian society members of the football fan social movement in general and specific groups which are a part of it demonstrate their capability for a prompt and effective self-organization. They act as powerful actors of social changes. The structure of the football fan social movement embraces very particular social groups with specific, often negative public perception. That is why the problem of their survival is very significant. Especially this question is relevant for the fan groups and organizations in the response to elimination of the football club that they are supporting. In such conditions, their continued existence is confirmed by the presence of visual markers in the public space of the city and activity in social networks. In this research, the self-organization interaction is positioned as a factor for football fan group survival. Self-organization and self-regulation processes for such groups are an integral part of their functioning and survival. In support of this thesis, firstly, the author considers the types of social groups survival proposed by Eric Berne, and relates them to the football fans. The special attention is paid to the ideological survival, since it is associated with the phenomenon of the football fan group existence in condition of the football club absence. Secondly, the author refers to the several concepts like: the system survival, the mortality of the group and groups survival mechanisms, proposed by Talcott Parsons. The analysis is based on the «A.G.I.L.» framework which demonstrates the social functions of the system. In the case of football fans they are realized at the expense of self-regulation. Thus, as the benefits of this study, mechanisms of fan groups survival are described. As a separate mechanism the author highlights conflict as the basis for the centralization of efforts that the fan groups members put and also as a stand point for enhance of the football fan movement. Also in this study the matter of survival of social groups is examined though the synergetic approach. Survival of the football fan groups is presented as a result of the overcoming the internal entropy of the system. In addition, in the end of the article the implementation of value basis and their functions in the self-organized football fan groups are discussed. The author demonstrates the social importance of the informal internal «code» for football fans. This s how the author defines the role of the self-organization as a factor of the football fan groups survival. Thus, the inner football fans corporate culture is seen not only as a system that is capable of self-regulation, but also as a basic condition for self-organization.