University of Alberta Inside the Ring: The Ethnic and Racial Composition of the Edmonton Boxing Commimity. Mark Joseph Keating 0 A thesis submitted to the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts. Department of Sociology Edmonton, Alberta Fd, 1998 Bibliothbque nationale du Canada Acquisitions and Acquisitions et Bibliographie Services services bibliographiques 395 Wellington Street 395. rue Wellington OthwaON K1AW OttawaON K1AON4 Canada Canada The author has granted a non- L'auteur a accordé une licence non exclusive licence allowing the exclusive permettant à la National Library of Canada to Bibliothèque nationale du Canada de reproduce, loan, distniute or sell reproduire, prêter, distribuer ou copies of this thesis in microform, vendre des copies de cette thèse sous paper or electronic formats. la forme de microfiche/f5h, de reproduction sur papier ou sur format électronique. The author retains ownership of the L'auteur conserve la propriété du copyright in this thesis. Neither the droit d'auteur qui protège cette thèse. thesis nor substantial extracts fiom it Ni la thèse ni des extraits substantiels may be printed or otherwise de celle-ci ne doivent être imprimés reproduced without the author's ou autrement reproduits sans son permission. autorisation. ABSTRACT INSIDE THE RING: THE ETHNIC AND RACIAL COMPOSITION OF THE EDMONTON BOXING COMMUNITY In this thesis, participant observation and indepth interviewhg were used to confimi that ethnic and racial minority gmups are found in greater proportion in the Edmonton Boxing Community than in the generd population. The data reveals one of the important reasons for minority involvement in the sport is socialization of boxing through their family, where boxing becomes a taken-for-granted social practice early in the individual's life. The findiogs highlight the association between the minoris. shared experiences of discrimination and prejudice and the sport of boxing. In addition, young people corne to boxing for other reasons, but it is 'respect' (for oneselfand nom others) gained in the ring, that helps explain why they continue to be involved in boxing. The most beautifid thing we can experience is the mysterious. - Albert Einstein To begin writing fiom our pain evennially engenders compassion for our small and groping lives. Out of this broken state there comes a tendemess for the cernent below our feet, the dned grass cracking in a temble wind. We can touch the tbgsaround us we once thought ugiy and see their special detail, the peeling paint and gray of shadows as they are - simply what they are: not bad, just part of the life around us - and love this life because it is ours and in the moment there is norhing better. - Nataiie Goldberg My religion is very simple, my religion is kindness. - Dalai Lama Mom For your many sacrifices, I dedicate this thesis to you. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT Any thesis is a coiiaborative undertaking. Likewise, this project has not been mine alone. 1 would like to thank Dr. Harvey Krahn, Dr. Ann Ha, and Dr. Wiam Johnston for their intellechial input as weli as their support and encouragement 1wodd also Like to thank Dr. David Brown, who inspired me to think sociologically. Thank you mom for help in the way that only you howhow to provide. Sandy, Garth and Danielle, thank you for proviciing a deand supportive refuge whenever 1felt the URGE (fairly often) to escape hmwriting, while coming to the realization my situation was similar to the boxer in the ring, 'iou cm nin, but you can't hide". Thanks Art and Sonja for a relaxing Sumner and reminding me to take Iife a little easier. Since its inception in Lethbridge, academia has been an incredibIy personal journey for me. It came dong at a the in my life when 1 seemed to be experiencing a bit more personal difficulty than nod. This thesis rerninds me that things worth having corne at a pnce. I am gratefid to the many members of the Edmonton boxing community who not only cooperated in the research but aiso encouraged me to act like a boxer by 'doing' some boxing. Theand again, boxers expressed their fears (whether consciously or not). Partly, they fear leaving the corner and going into the middle of the ring: alone. They told me what they fear most, even more than getting hurt, is simply looking bad. While 1 stniggled with almost every single word that 1put down in this thesis, 1 came to realize similanties between my fear of writing and the boxer's fear of looking bad. By 'doing' it, the boxer overcomes fear each time he or she steps into the ring. That, 1 admire. 1 leamed a little bit about how to box by doing it; which kind of sums up writing this thesis. TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER PAGE 1: INTRODUCTION.......................................................................................................... 1 A Socioiogical Perspective................. .. .......................................................... 1 The Research Probiem............................................................................................. 2 Sport As An Arena for Social Inequality................................................................. 7 The Ethics of Boxing ............................................................................................. 8 Ethnic and Racial Minorities in Boxing in Canada. .................... .... ............... 12 Structure of The Thesis.......................................................................................... 12 2: REVIEW OF LITERATURE.................................................................................... 15 Ethnic.... and Race Relations in Canada and The United States................................ 15 Mmonties in Sport and Boxing ............................................................................. 17 Upward Social Mobility.... Via Sport ...................................................................... 19 Explanations for Mmonties m Sport ...................................... 21 . ........................ ... Access and Affordability...................................................................................... 25 A Way. Out. of Disadvantage................................................................................ 27 Exploitation of Disadvantage................................................................................ 28 Neighborhood of Violence.................... .. ........................................................... 29 Social Control Mechanism ................................................................................. 29 Research Questions........... .... .......................................................................... 33 . * Characteristics of Boxing Clubs.......................................................................... 33 Ethnic and Racial Characteristics of Boxers.......................................................... 34 Motivations and Expenences of Boxers .................... .... ................................... 36 3: METHODS.............................................................................................................. 38 Entering the Field .............. ... ............................................................................... 39 Early Stages in the Field ........................................................................................41 Later in. the. Field .................. .... ... ......................................................................... 43 Interviewmg......................... ... ............................................................................... 46 Interview Sample ................................................................................................. 48 ..................................................................................................... Interview Guide . 49 Open-ended Interviewmg..................................................................................... 50 Interview Response............... .... ....................................................................... .5 1 Interview Problems................................................................................................ 53 Counting............................................................................................................. 55 Exiting the Field .................................................................................................... .55 Data Analysis......................................................................................................... 56 In the Gym .......................................................................................................... 58 CHAPTER PAGE 4: THE EDMONTON BOXING COMMUNITY.*.......... .. .........................*............... 69 Boxing Clubs and The Boxers.. ............. ... ............*............................................ -69 Ethnic and Racial Composition............. .. ............. 2 Boxing Events........................................................................................................ 77 Summary ............................ .... ................................ 79 5: REASONS FOR ENTERING THE WORLD OF BOXING................................... 1 .. The Familles of Boxers.......................................................................................... 81 Friends................................................................................................................... -90 Easy Access to Boxing Clubs ...............................................................................