Racing against time? Aspects of the temporal organization of the runner's world

Smith, GWH

Abstract

Drawing on documentary sources and participant observation, I seek to specify salient temporal characteristics of the social world of running. Extant analyses seem preoccupied with criticizing running temporality for reproducing, in a sporting context, those Taylorized, alienating beliefs and oppressive practices typical of capitalist sites of production. A different point of departure, runners' own understandings, shows that temporal considerations are a key constituent of the runner's self that is not experienced as alienated. Three aspects of running temporality are highlighted: the large-scale temporal organization of the running world, with a focus on the cyclical racing pattern and the planned and scheduled character of training; temporal features of running careers; and the way in which "times" figure in the activity of running and its description. I conclude that these temporal organizations are important symbolic resources that help to build and reaffirm the runner's self. Rather than time alienating and exploiting runners, runners exploit it as a constructive resource that they can deploy in diverse ways.

Citation

Smith, G. (2002). Racing against time? Aspects of the temporal organization of the runner's world. Symbolic Interaction, 25(3), 343-362. https://doi.org/10.1525/si.2002.25.3.343

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Publication Date: Aug 1, 2002
• Deposit Date: Feb 3, 2009
• Publicly Available Date: Feb 3, 2009
• Journal: Symbolic Interaction
• Print ISSN: 0195-6086
• Publisher: Wiley
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 25
• Issue: 3
• Pages: 343-362
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1525/si.2002.25.3.343
• Publisher URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1525/si.2002.25.3.343
• Related Public URLs: http://www.ucpress.edu/; http://caliber.ucpress.net/loi/si