You don't understand us! An inside perspective on adventure climbing.

Holland-Smith, David; Olivier, Steve

Abstract

This paper presents a specific (insider) perspective of a small group of experienced male Scottish adventure climbers and explores through in-depth semi-structured interviews their attitudes, strategies and justifications associated with potentially high-risk climbing situations. Attention is paid to how participants feel that they are represented and viewed by others (outsiders) who do not participate in mountaineering and climbing activities. Climbers identify the significance of media, commercial and social representations of them as risk takers. The analysis explores risk as being socially constructed, with the associated assumptions being embedded in particular discourses. Climbers present themselves as rational managers of risk and provide examples of their risk-management strategies, with such characterizations being central to their identity as climbers.

Citation

HOLLAND-SMITH, D. and OLIVIER, S. 2013. You don't understand us! An inside perspective on adventure climbing. Sport in society: cultures, commerce, media, politics [online], 16(9), pages 1091-1104. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1080/17430437.2013.790889

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: May 1, 2013
• Online Publication Date: May 1, 2013
• Publication Date: Nov 4, 2013
• Deposit Date: Jan 19, 2022
• Publicly Available Date: Jan 19, 2022
• Journal: Sport in society: cultures, commerce, media, politics
• Print ISSN: 1743-0437
• Electronic ISSN: 1743-0445
• Publisher: Taylor & Francis (Routledge)
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 16
• Issue: 9
• Pages: 1091-1104
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/17430437.2013.790889
• Keywords: Climbing; Adventure climbing; Sport psychology; Extreme sports; Extreme sports and society
• Public URL: https://rgu-repository.worktribe.com/output/1575278