Bodybuilding as a subcultural lifestyle of peripheral youth

Datos Bibliográficos

ID21148711
AutoresKrzysztof Sawicki (0000-0002-8192-9975, University of Białystok, autor de correspondencia)
Año2016
Volumen18
Número5-6
Páginas283-300
Fecha de publicación2016-08-17
Peer ReviewedSí
Open AccessNo
TipoARTICLE
RevistaHealth Risk & Society (JOURNAL)
Identificadores de la revistaISSN: 1369-8575 • E-ISSN: 1469-8331
EditorialInforma UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/13698575.2016.1211256
OpenAlexW2498433042
IdiomaEN
Citas recibidas2
Referencias citadas46

In this article, I draw on data from a qualitative study of a group of bodybuilding youth in Poland to examine how these young men form a distinctive subculture in an environment of conflicting influences of a post-communist, lower class environment and those of capitalism, and social advancement. In the study, conducted in 2014 in a small town in north-east of Poland still dealing with aftermath of the collapse of communism, I undertook 26 in-depth interviews with young bodybuilders and, in this article, focus on five cases that highlight the group’s norms, activities, and overall functioning. In this article, I argue that bodybuilding was the foundation of a subcultural style, a means by which individuals could achieve peer respect and a method for them to channel emotions. I found that the activities associated with bodybuilding provided instant gratification. Such activities enabled individuals to see the immediate effect of working out. However, while these activities provided individuals with a way of developing a desirable sculpted body, they also resulted in distortions of self-image and their daily life, which, in turn, cause a deferral in engaging in typical mandated adult roles and, instead, focusing on the individual’s role and position in their group of peers. However, I found that the dynamics and norms of the bodybuilding group did not condone or facilitate, risky behaviours associated with the use of illegal pharmaceuticals that carry significant health risks

Adventure Sports and Sensation Seeking · Medicine · Psychology · Sport and Mega-Event Impacts · Sports, Gender, and Society · Gerontology