Del 0 - Critical Issues in Sport and Society

Why Would Anyone Do That?

Lifestyle Sport in the Twenty-First Century

Inbunden, Engelska, 2016

AvStephen C. Poulson

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Triathlons, such as the famously arduous Ironman Triathlon, and “extreme” mountain biking-hair-raising events held over exceedingly dangerous terrain-are prime examples of the new “lifestyle sports” that have grown in recent years from oddball pursuits, practiced by a handful of characters, into multi-million-dollar industries. In Why Would Anyone Do That? sociologist Stephen C. Poulson offers a fascinating exploration of these new and physically demanding sports, shedding light on why some people find them so compelling. Drawing on interviews with lifestyle sport competitors, on his own experience as a participant, on advertising for lifestyle sport equipment, and on editorial content of adventure sport magazines, Poulson addresses a wide range of issues. He notes that these sports are often described as “authentic” challenges which help keep athletes sane given the demands they confront in their day-to-day lives. But is it really beneficial to “work” so hard at “play?” Is the discipline required to do these sports really an expression of freedom, or do these sports actually impose extraordinary degrees of conformity upon these athletes? Why Would Anyone Do That? grapples with these questions, and more generally with whether lifestyle sport should always be considered “good” for people. Poulson also looks at what happens when a sport becomes a commodity-even a sport that may have begun as a reaction against corporate and professional sport-arguing that commodification inevitably plays a role in determining who plays, and also how and why the sport is played. It can even help provide the meaning that athletes assign to their participation in the sport. Finally, the book explores the intersections of race, class, and gender with respect to participation in lifestyle and endurance sports, noting in particular that there is a near complete absence of people of color in most of these contests. In addition, Poulson examines how concepts of masculinity in triathlons have changed as women’s roles in this sport increase.

Produktinformation

Utgivningsdatum2016-04-19
Mått152 x 229 x 20 mm
Vikt481 g
FormatInbunden
SpråkEngelska
SerieCritical Issues in Sport and Society
Antal sidor256
FörlagRutgers University Press
ISBN9780813564449

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Preface and AcknowledgmentsIntroduction: Why Would Anyone Ride a Mountain Bike in the Middle of the Night?1 Social Life and Sport2 Looking for Adventure, Looking for Authenticity3 Disciplining Bodies in Lifestyle Sport4 Types of Lifestyle Athletes and Team Touch of Grey5 Resistance to Discipline in a Cycling Community6 Why So White? Race and Social Class in Lifestyle Sport7 Where Are the Women? Differing Levels of Participation in Lifestyle and Adventure Sport8 Conclusion Appendix: My Experience with Lifestyle Sport and Location of the Study Notes Index

"Poulson explores interesting, timely, and relevant questions about the nature of, and reasons for, participation in the sports of mountain-bike racing and triathlon in this engaging, persuasive, and extensively researched book." - Belinda Wheaton (University of Waikato, New Zealand) "This inventive treatment of the sociology of sport will interest outdoor enthusiasts as well as scholars … Recommended. Upper-division undergraduates; graduate students; general readers." (Choice) "Poulson presents a comprehensive, thoughtful and well-researched critique of the emergence and transformation of lifestyle sports in the twenty-first century. His discussion of the rationales and motivations for engaging in such arduous physical activities is framed within the context of current theoretical discussions in the sociology of sport." (Contemporary Sociology) "Stephen Poulson has written a persuasive and extensively researched book about lifestyle sport using mountain biking and triathlon as his main examples." (International Sociology Reviews) "Poulson explores interesting, timely, and relevant questions about the nature of, and reasons for, participation in the sports of mountain-bike racing and triathlon in this engaging, persuasive, and extensively researched book." - Belinda Wheaton (University of Waikato, New Zealand) "This inventive treatment of the sociology of sport will interest outdoor enthusiasts as well as scholars … Recommended. Upper-division undergraduates; graduate students; general readers." (Choice) "Poulson presents a comprehensive, thoughtful and well-researched critique of the emergence and transformation of lifestyle sports in the twenty-first century. His discussion of the rationales and motivations for engaging in such arduous physical activities is framed within the context of current theoretical discussions in the sociology of sport." (Contemporary Sociology) "Stephen Poulson has written a persuasive and extensively researched book about lifestyle sport using mountain biking and triathlon as his main examples." (International Sociology Reviews)