Title: Secondary socialisation and the consumption of sporting goods: cross cultural dimensions

Authors: Fabien Ohl, Marijke Taks

Addresses: Faculte des SSP – ISSEP, Universite de Lausanne, 1015 Lausanne Suisse, Bat. Provence, Switzerland. ' Department of Kinesiology, University of Windsor, 401 Sunset Avenue, Windsor ON N9B 3P4, Canada; Department of Human Kinesiology, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Tervuursevest 101, 3001 Leuven, Belgium

Abstract: The aim of the paper is to understand the social usage of sporting goods. Our observations show that goods are not only necessary to practice; they reveal values, social networks and consumption patterns which are an integral part of the sports culture. The consumption of sporting goods is often used to shape an identity, usually positive, to obtain recognition and to have new social and bodily experiences. We argue that sporting goods consumption is related to social presentations, representations and narratives that express the symbolic boundaries of one|s self and is a resource in the construction of subcultures.

Keywords: consumption; socialisation; sporting goods; subcultures; sport marketing; sports culture.

DOI: 10.1504/IJSMM.2007.011406

International Journal of Sport Management and Marketing, 2007 Vol.2 No.1/2, pp.160 - 174

Published online: 30 Nov 2006 *

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