DETERMINING THE SOCIAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL REASONS FOR THE EMERGENCE OF PARKOUR AND FREE RUNNING – AN INTERPRETIVE PHENOMENOLOGICAL ANALYSIS. MATHEW BRENDAN PAUL WALLACE DOCTORATE OF PHILOSOPHY UNIVERSITY OF SALFORD, SALFORD, MANCHESTER, UK SCHOOL OF HEALTH SCIENCES OCTOBER 2013 Content ________________________________________________________________ CONTENTS PAGE CONTENTS Page CHAPTER 1 - Introduction...................................................................................................1 CHAPTER 2 - Literature Review........................................................................................13 Overview.................................................................................................................................13 2.1 - Extreme Sports................................................................................................................13 2.2 - Literature on Parkour and Free Running.........................................................................14 2.2.1 - What is Parkour........................................................................................................15 2.2.2 - Parkour Origins.........................................................................................................16 2.2.3 - The Development of Parkour and Free Running......................................................16 2.2.4 - Environmentalism and Transcendentalism...............................................................17 2.2.5 - Parkour Training and Practise..................................................................................18 2.2.6 - Meanings and Motivations.......................................................................................19 2.2.7 - Belonging..................................................................................................................21 2.2.8 - Pure Play Spirit.........................................................................................................22 2.2.9 - Flow..........................................................................................................................23 2.2.10 - Aesthetics...............................................................................................................23 2.2.11 - Standardisation, Regulation and Sportisation........................................................25 2.2.12 - Globalisation..........................................................................................................26 2.2.13 - Reinventing the Use of City Space .......................................................................27 2.2.14 - Resistance..............................................................................................................29 2.3 - Psychological Considerations.......................................................................................30 ___________________________________________________________________ i Content ________________________________________________________________ 2.3.1 - Personality..............................................................................................................30 2.3.2 - Meaning and Motivation........................................................................................31 2.3.3 - Dangerous Sports and Flow...................................................................................32 2.4 - Sociological Considerations.........................................................................................33 2.4.1 - Professional Sport..................................................................................................33 2.4.2 - Post Sport...............................................................................................................34 2.4.3 - Subculture Identity and Status...............................................................................35 2.4.4 - Globalisation...........................................................................................................36 2.4.5 - The Commodification of Extreme Sport................................................................37 2.4.6 - Counter Culture and the Media................................................ ..............................38 2.4.7 - Authenticity in Extreme Sport................................................................................39 2.4.8 - Resistance................................................................................................................40 Summary.................................................................................................................................41 CHAPTER 3 - Methodology.................................................................................................42 Overview.................................................................................................................................42 3.1 - Exploring Parkour and Free Running: A Qualitative Research Approach.....................42 3.1.1 - Legitimising Qualitative Research...........................................................................43 3.1.2 - Evaluating Qualitative Research Techniques...........................................................45 3.1.3 - Questionnaires..........................................................................................................45 3.1.4 - Focus Group.............................................................................................................45 3.1.5 - Face to Face Semi-Structured Interviews................................................................46 3.1.6 - Behavioural Observations........................................................................................48 ___________________________________________________________________ ii Content ________________________________________________________________ 3.2 - The Chosen Method of Data Generation/Information Analysis: Phenomenology.........49 3.2.1 - Procedure: IPA..........................................................................................................53 3.2.2 - The Structural Process of Phenomenology: familiarisation process.........................54 3.2.3 - Systematic Production of Themes and Clusters........................................................54 3.2.4 - Systematic Overview................................................................................................55 3.2.5 - Master Themes..........................................................................................................56 3.2.6 - Integrating Themes...................................................................................................57 3.2.7 - Validation.................................................................................................................57 3.2.8 - Pilot Study................................................................................................................57 3.3 - Emerging Considerations and Key Issues.......................................................................58 3.3.1 - Questions...................................................................................................................59 3.3.2 - Interviews..................................................................................................................63 3.3.3 - Setting.......................................................................................................................64 3.3.4 - Ethics.........................................................................................................................65 3.3.5 - Transcribing the Data................................................................................................65 Summary..................................................................................................................................66 CHAPTER 4 - Analysis One.................................................................................................67 Overview................................................................................................................................67 4.1 - Familiarisation Process.................................................................................................68 4.1.1 - Participant A............................................................................................................69 4.1.2 - Participant B............................................................................................................75 4.1.3 - Participant C............................................................................................................79 ___________________________________________________________________ iii Content ________________________________________________________________ 4.2 - Systematic Production of Themes and Clusters...........................................................86 4.2.1 - Participant A...........................................................................................................87 4.2.2 - Participant B...........................................................................................................96 4.2.3 - Participant C..........................................................................................................101 4.3 - Identifying Themes......................................................................................................107 4.3.1 - Participant A..........................................................................................................108