“The Interpretive Point of View”
I found
both articles for today very interesting, as they both apply a rather
humanistic research approach to the study of the motives, values, and
experiences of individuals in contemporary society. In his work, Denzin points
out that interpretive interactionism “attempts to make the world of lived
experience directly accessible to the reader” (1989, p. 10). Denzin states that
“the focus of interpretive research is on those life experiences that radically
alter and shape the meanings persons give to themselves and their life projects”
(1989, p. 15). He calls these transformational, life-changing (“turning point”)
experiences “epiphanies” (1989, p. 15).
I think that
it is in sports – as an arena in which social identities are constantly
constructed, reinforced, and negotiated – that these epiphanies become
especially meaningful and are worth to be studied and examined. I believe that
many athletes, especially (but not exclusively) on the professional level,
undergo multiple of these in their athletic career. For instance, many athletes
describe their first participation in a major international sporting event
(such as the Olympics or the World Cup) as an epiphany that changed their life
forever. Many of these moments are loaded with significant emotional meanings
leading to a (mentally) transformational experience.
I also
think that these experiences become extremely important for individuals who do
not fit the hegemonic ideals of a society, e.g. women or minorities in sports.
Oftentimes, sports for them becomes a platform through which they can “escape”
from the immense pressure of hegemonic forces. While they might feel
discriminated in the practices of their everyday lives, sports can become a
facilitator of epiphanies in the realm of their social identities.
While I
never participated in competitive sports on any level higher than the local
level, I definitely think that one does not have to participate in a sport in
order to experience an epiphany related to sport; sometimes, being a spectator
can also be a significant, life-changing experience for a person. I think that my
experience with the 2006 World Cup is a good example of this. While I did not
participate in the Soccer World Cup 2006 in Germany myself, the event itself
had a huge impact on my life, and my view on patriotism and nationhood in
relation to Germany has definitely changed tremendously during the event.
Yannick,
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed reading your blog post. I too agree with you that epiphanies in sport are worth studying. Even though we have only read a tiny bit about them, it seems like every epiphany is different and can have major impacts on a person. I also liked how you pointed out that many athletes undergo multiple epiphanies in their career. For our assignment, I am having difficulty picking just one that had the biggest impact on me, so I can relate to having multiple epiphanies that have different implications on my life.
I also liked the part in your post about how these moments can have significant emotional meaning and possible lead to a transformational experience. In the article it explained the four different forms of an epiphany. I think that regardless of the moment being a major or a relived, it can still transform a person and have an incredible amount of emotion involved.
My question for you would be do you think even though someone might not fit the hegemonic ideals of a society, that they would be able to be connected to sports enough to have multiple epiphanies?
Mike Harrington
Hi Mike,
DeleteThanks for you comment. You raised a very good question at the end of your comment. I think that some individuals might have epiphanies in sports BECAUSE they do not fit the hegemonic ideals of a society. A homosexual male figure skater who got bullied for acting rather feminine during his high school or college career, for instance, might find great comfort in presenting himself at a national or regional figure skating championship; an overwhelming amount of acceptance in this situation might qualify this moment as an epiphany in his career. Similar to this example, female athletes who do not fit the hegemonic norm (e.g. because they are too muscular due to the sport they are in) might experience an epiphany when competing with other athletes who have the same troubles.
-Yannick
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteYannick,
ReplyDeleteI agree with what you described in your post with the possibility of multiple epiphanies, and especially in the case of professional athletes who have so many meaningful moments in their careers. We have learned that epiphanies can come in different forms and magnitudes, and that information helps to support what you have written.
I did notice that you described only positive epiphanies in your post, but what about negative epiphanies? In an athletic career, a negative epiphany could potentially be even more meaningful than a positive one. An athlete who suffers a career-ending injury, an athlete who realizes he/she may be too old to compete, or a heart-breaking loss in a championship all could be described negatively along with other scenarios. Although these types of situations could have positive outcomes in the long-run, they could also have a serious negative impact if an athlete does not respond well to them. Do you think that these types of situations should be described as epiphanies? Also, do you think a marginal athlete would react differently to a situation like one of these negative compared to a professional who might be better at turning the situation in to a positive? Just a few thoughts of my own.
Joey Durant
Hi Joey,
DeleteThanks for your great comment. I definitely think that negative life-changing experiences are epiphanies, and I would even go so far as to say that in the media it is negative epiphanies of athletes that get the most attention. One example that immediately came to mind when I was reading your post was the case of South African sprint runner Oscar Pistorius. Right now, Pistorius is in the media for taking the life of his girlfriend. While I think that he had a lot of positive epiphanies during his career as a disabled-bodied (globally celebrated) runner, I think that the night in which his girlfriend died was a major, if not the biggest, epiphany in his life. It is also a epiphany that can with no doubt be classified as negative.
I definitely think that an athlete who is at the center of the hegemonic hierarchies would get more attention than a marginalized athlete. With marginalized athlete, we often get narratives that place the reason of their marginalization at the center of their failure. For instance, a female athlete who is getting a divorce is sometimes blamed for not being "more feminine". I think that a marginalized athlete would react differently due to the less amount of attention he or she would get.
-Yannick