Cultures of running: characteristics and determinants

• Published in: Sport in society Vol. 22; no. 3; pp. 342 - 360
• Main Authors: Lassalle, Geoffrey, Recours, Robin, Griffet, Jean
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Abingdon Taylor & Francis Ltd 04.03.2019; Taylor & Francis (Routledge)
• Subjects: Bourdieu, Pierre (1930-2002); Clubs; Humanities and Social Sciences; Running; Social background; Sociology; Sports; Track & field
• ISSN: 1743-0437; 1743-0445
• DOI: 10.1080/17430437.2018.1490264

Based on the studies of Mauss (1935) and Bourdieu (1980) on the determination of body techniques by culture and social background, this study seeks to describe the rules, dispositions and habits specific to different forms of athletic running. It is based on a sample of 732 athletes, all of them are the members of French athletics clubs, comprising 220 sprinters, 213 half-distance runners and 299 long-distance runners. Sports practices are different depending on sub-culture affiliation, sociological characteristics and forms of commitment. This being said, simple links between variables should not be transformed into causal connections. Before drawing such conclusions, it is important to identify the nature of the sport studied. This shows that middle-distance and long-distance enthusiasts, traditionally classified in the same family, have less, in common, than those practising sprint and middle distance. These results potentially question the methodological groups and sociological interpretations made by researchers and sports science.