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Running - Discipline through play
Svobodová, Karin ; Stöckelová, Tereza (advisor) ; Grygar, Jakub (referee)
This thesis is a study of running from the perspective of the Actor-Network Theory (ANT). In my research I have been focusing on running as a discipline, as well as entertainment in the contemporary society pervaded by smartphones and other personal technology. In the analysis of the discipline, self-discipline and the governance of the self my work draws primarily upon the argument of M. Foucault. First, I examine mechanisms of runner's self-discipline with its imperative of continuous improvement. My second key argument, exploring running as entertainment, starts from Bourdieu's comments on running, as he suggested that running does not bring any instant satisfaction and certainly not any satisfaction from competition. My empirical work brought me to a contradictory conclusion. From my point of view, running is not just present suffering with the strive for future results, but it can also be a competitive and creative play. In this context, I also explore the notion of the "runner trance". In my work I am presenting several examples of the blending of discipline and entertainment in running (for example when experiencing pain). Furthermore, I suggest that the aspects of running as entertainment may not only serve as a support mechanism for the runner's discipline. My thesis is based on more than...
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