CrossFit Identity: Study of Group Creation Through Social Processes

Item

Title

CrossFit Identity: Study of Group Creation Through Social Processes

Description

Herve Varenne wrote a book called Americans Together (1977) that theorized American culture as the product of the dual American ideals of individualism and collectivism. I found his approach illuminating as I endeavored to identify the cultural values embedded in CrossFit groups. This ethnographic research combined participant observation and life history interviews in several different gyms in the Keene area with a review of relevant literature. The fieldwork created a comparative framework for a study of the cultural journey taken by CrossFit Keene members after their gym closed. I have applied the methods and theories of Franz Boas, Claudia Strauss, and Herve Varenne to a social process that helped develop the group's identity and 'creation myth.' In this presentation, I will discuss ways in which members of CrossFit culture in Keene work to express their individuality through their group.

Rosemary Gianno

Contributor

Keene State College

Creator

Sarah R. Keith

Date

2017-10-11

Identifier

http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12088/8101

Subject

Anthropology

Type

Presentation

Rights

http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

Item sets

AEC 2017 School of Sciences and Social Sciences

Site pages

School of Sciences and Social Sciences