Suchergebnisse

The aim of the study was to investigate the largely undisclosed and officially unsanctioned deviant sporting activity of unlicensed boxing in the United Kingdom. A qualitative life history approach was used, whereby an understanding of participant values, perspectives, and motivations was sought through the experiences of a recently retired protagonist. Information was gathered through a series of in-depth, reflexive interviews. Emergent themes included critical incidents from school days, perceived local tradition, motivations for participation, and the meaning that winning and staying undefeated provided for the subject. The data were in turn interpreted within the framework of a sports career model, with the accompanying social critique placing the respondent's actions within the wider societal context. The implications of the findings lie in the development of a greater awareness and understanding of the activity of unlicensed boxing, which, in turn, reflects the existence of a sporting subculture of the socially disadvantaged.

This study explores the experiences of a former elite swimmer, Anne (a pseudonym), whose career was interrupted and finally terminated by disordered eating. The work is grounded in the need to tell Anne's story in relation to compliance within a culture of slenderness and norms, and the role of the coach within that culture. Using interpretive biography, the data illustrate how the creation of strong athletic identity led to a vulnerable sense of self, which, when disrupted, critically contributed to the development of an eating disorder. They also indicate how the prevailing discourse fed the disorder through ongoing surveillance and disciplining of the self. Finally, suggestions are made about drawing lessons from Anne's story with regard to re-interpreting the traditional coach-athlete relationship.

Through its interpretation of events, and subsequent creation of social reality, mediated sport is often seen to be presented within certain ideological discourses which reflect existing power structures. The aim of this study was to investigate this phenomenon through an analysis of the images constructed of the Black soccer player in the UK by television commentators. The methodology employed was two-fold. First, 100 hours of football footage was scrutinized, with the descriptors used to portray both Black and White players being coded into one of the following categories: (a) players and their performance, (b) the physical characteristics of players, and (c) the psychological characteristics of players. Second, through the subsequent use of same-race focus groups, the influence of the images portrayed on differing racial groups was also examined. Results demonstrated that the Black groups clearly identified the existence of media sport racial stereotypes, which were fed and reaffirmed through commentator discourse. The White groups, on the other hand, were much less certain of such phenomena, with, in particular, only a small discursive space being apparent between an awareness of the Black athletic stereotype and acceptance of that stereotype.