Clay Routledge: Tribalism
What can sporting success teach us about ordinary life? Simon Mundie sits down each week with an expert to explore the deeper aspects of sport that mean more than the score.
Most people know someone else who exaggerates their support for a football team. David Cameron may be the most famous example after forgetting whether he was meant to be supporting West Ham or Aston Villa, but he's far from alone. So what’s that all about? Simon talks to behavioural scientist, Professor Clay Routledge to explore tribalism, which may well explain why exaggerating an interest in football is actually a rational thing to do. They trace the roots of tribalism back to the prehistoric hunter gatherer, and explore the similarities between supporting a football team, religion in the bible belt and the current state of politics in the UK and US.
