'Five for Fighting': the Culture and Practice of Legitimised Violence
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Cardiff University School of Social Sciences ‘Five for Fighting’: The Culture and Practice of Legitimised Violence in Professional Ice Hockey Victoria Silverwood Submitted for award: PhD Year of Submission: 2015 Funder: Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) Studentship Summary This research investigates the phenomenon of violence through the lens of legitimised violence in ice hockey. The study locates ice hockey violence among the boundaries of criminality, where it is managed, organised and regulated outside of the criminal justice system. Here, violence is organised through an accepted code of conduct, widely understood and acknowledged by players, spectators and regulators. Violence is organised through the culture of hockey, situated in the spectacle of entertainment, the audience often displaying a carnivalesque thirst for violence. In sport, the criminological boundaries of violence are not set and enforced by criminal justice agencies; rather they are constructed, managed and mediated through the culture of the sport and an accepted code of behaviour. Reflecting on an extended ethnography of the culture of professional hockey, this thesis considers the ever-changing cultural climate of sanctioned violence in the sport. Through ethnographic observation and extensive visually-elicited interviews; cultural and social identity, motives of violent behaviour, and situated meanings of hockey players are uncovered in a manner that has historically not been prioritised within criminological research of this area. The process of legitimisation of this physical violence is formed and shaped not only by players engaging in the sport, but by cultural factors that exist beyond the confines of the rink. Informed by broad structural themes such as power, masculinity and finance; shared interactions on the ice are a small part of the wider accepted justifications for otherwise illegal acts of violence. i Dedication This thesis is dedicated to my father Peter William Brock (1935-2014), a prolific collector of knowledge, who always sought to remind me that: “There must be a beginning of any great matter, but the continuing to the end until it be thoroughly finished yields the true glory” Sir Francis Drake. ii Acknowledgements and Thanks I am indebted to the ESRC for providing the funding to complete this research. Also, to Cardiff School of Social Sciences (SOCSI) for providing me with my postgraduate education and support. The research groups Cardiff Centre for Crime, Law and Justice (CCLJ) and the study group for Ethnography, Culture and Interpretive Analysis have inspired and supported me throughout my postgraduate career. I owe a great deal of thanks to my supervisors. Professor Trevor Jones, who has always believed in my object of study and has sought to encourage me to remain on track despite the many bumps in the road over the years. Professor Paul Atkinson, who stepped in to help support my progress several months before being officially appointed as my supervisor and the reason why I now find it impossible to write without hearing a voice reminding me to be more bold. As my progress reviewer, Sara Delamont has been of great use in assisting me when I needed additional support and for reminding me of the value of this study. A great number of my academic colleagues and good friends have assisted me in this thesis, from the original seed of an idea to the eventual submission. I would like to thank Claire Lawson for becoming my study-buddy on my first day of my first MSc and encouraging me throughout to further my research and engage in academic and public presentations throughout the past 7 years. I will always be grateful for her ability to give a Claire-Stare when she felt it deserved and for always fighting my corner, it is great to know you have had my back. Dr. Tom Slater has provided more than sufficient shoulders to cry on and cakes to get me back on track over the course of our PhD studies and reminded me that no matter how frustrating I as finding my write-up, that at least my subject isn’t as boring as his! Dr. Gareth Thomas has been an inspiration to me ethnographically and I always look forward to sharing fieldwork stories together. Jemma Oeppen, has reminded me how exciting the research process can be and shared many delicious Wagamama meals whilst engaging in long discussions about the hockey world. Ian McKim, who reminded me of all that I love about culture and criminology, allowing me to teach his course as a fellow evangelist of the culture/crime nexus. My non-academic friends have been of stellar support throughout the process and I think they have learnt more about the process of writing a PhD than they would ever have chosen to. My ‘Canada Girls’ - Anne, Jess, Nic and Sharon have always been in my corner, inspiring me with engaging stories and reminding me that it can be done. My mum, who has never questioned my ability to complete this thesis and for her cards of encouragement and useful inspirational quotes throughout the process. My sister Katie, who reminded me that it was possible for a Brock to be a ‘completer and finisher’ and repeatedly being on my back telling me to “JFDI”. Thanks Katie, you’re not the person to go to for sympathy but you do give a great reality check! My husband Neal has had to endure more of the ups and downs on completing this thesis more than most. Thank you Neal for your patience in listening to my moans and your interest in the area, as well as your ability prevent me from throwing your laptop through the window when I can’t format for toffee. While many women have been told that academic and motherhood do not mix, I express the opposite opinion; iii my children have been a continual support and encouragement to me. I hope that by completing this thesis I have reminded them of the need to work hard, to keep trying even when things are difficult and the importance of the support of family and friends. Issy, I would not have been able to continue were it not for your constant encouragement and unwavering belief in me. Theo, you were a constant reminder to get things done so that we can go off and explore. Without the encouragement of the three of you I would have struggled more with the often conflicting demands of study and family life, thank you all for your patience. Finally, this research would not have been possible were it not for the access and support that I received from the Barton Bears hockey club. In particular several of the players were integral to my continued access as well as enabling my understanding of the subject area. Thank you all for sharing your lives with me and being so open to my presence in your lives. This thesis would not be the work that it is had you not shared those parts of your lives with me and I will always be grateful – now go off and win some silverware. iv Contents Summary ....................................................................................................................... i Dedication .................................................................................................................... ii Acknowledgements and Thanks ................................................................................. iii Index of Figures ........................................................................................................... 1 Chapter One ................................................................................................................. 2 Introduction and Context .......................................................................................... 2 Ethnographic Gaze ................................................................................................ 8 Hockey Violence................................................................................................. 10 Previous Pilot Research ...................................................................................... 11 Research Questions and Themes ........................................................................ 13 Chapter Two ............................................................................................................... 17 Theoretical and Conceptual Framework ................................................................ 17 Introduction – Finding an academic discipline ................................................... 17 Part One: Erving Goffman, Randall Collins and Interactionist Micro-Sociology ............................................................................................................................ 19 Occupational Socialisation and an honour code ................................................. 27 Part Two: Culture, Deviance and Subculture .................................................... 31 Part Three: Cultural Criminology – ‘Turning the kaleidoscope’ ........................ 39 Conclusion .......................................................................................................... 50 Chapter Three ............................................................................................................. 52 Violence, Masculinity, Sport and Occupational Culture ........................................ 52 Introduction ......................................................................................................... 52 Part One: Violence in Ice Hockey ...................................................................... 53 Part Two: Masculinity, deviance, violence and emotion in other sports and occupational subcultures ....................................................................................