Programme full

Friday 17 April 2015 15:15 - 16:45
PAPER SESSION 8
Drawing on the stories and self-perceptions of knitters communicated in interviews, this paper unravels the transition
of knitting from domestic drudgery to emancipatory (post)feminist practice, and the potential for everyday activities to
crystallise and give experiential meaning to new formations of gender.
Jack Wills and the Gentrification of English Masculinities
Smith, D.
(Canterbury Christ Church University)
The figure of the English gentleman is gaining traction in British society. This resurgence of a lingering 'class'
character provides not just a reliable identity for contemporary British males but also imaginative solutions to the
current predicaments – notably, how to be English in the era of globalisation? This paper will unpack the reformation
of the gentleman and its paradoxical appearance by analysing the Jack Wills brand. By first conceptually outlining the
class background the 'gentleman' has in the British cultural imagination, the paper will proceed to analyse Jack Wills'
origins and its clothing aesthetic. The paper details the origins of the company within the cultural landscape of the late
1990s, then dwells upon its re-orientation of traditional English, aristocratic attire with American 'preppy' styles. By
drawing upon Lévi-Strauss (1963) and Jameson (1973) I demonstrate this paradoxical resurgence of
gentry/gentlemanliness as Jack Wills utilises an Americanised, mythologised narrative of Britishness. By supplying a
mythologised narrative of 'gentry' and 'gentlemanliness', the Jack Wills brand re-imagines a class society based upon
the status of 'gentry'. This patrician disposition, however, is made congenial to the contemporary period as it draws
upon oblique connections to American preppy culture. Gentrification concerns the oxymoronic resurgence of an
archaic character-type refigured in a manner appropriate for an increasingly plural, multi-cultural global landscape.
'It's Just Bants'. Banter, Sport and Mischievous Masculinities: The Role of Banter in the Construction of Male
Identities
Nichols, K.
(University of Sheffield)
There is a growing body of work on masculinities and identities in transition, however further research is required to
understand how men manage different types of masculine identities in their everyday lives (Robinson and Hockey,
2011; Bristow, 2010). Through focusing on banter in sport alongside theories of performance and identities, the ways
in which men negotiate multiple masculine identities will be explored.
Banter, a particular type of humour, has become an important cultural practice in the UK and yet has been given little
attention sociologically. Research shows that banter is commonly situated in the male domain and is a significant tool
to convey identity within social interactions (Lynch, 2010; Plester and Sayers, 2007). This research theorises banter
in conjunction with masculinity and performance in order to bridge an important gap in studies of masculinities. This
research develops Goffmanian theories of performance and addresses critiques relating to deficiencies in Goffman's
thinking regarding multiple and transitioning performances (Goffman, 1981, 1959). This paper asserts that banter is
an important tool implemented in interactions, enabling men to negotiate transitioning masculinities. Ethnographic
data collected over a period of fourteen months from the male Rugby Union context will be discussed. The finding
that banter enables men to perform different types of masculinity simultaneously will be the key focus, with the
example of banter and 'mischievous masculinity' examined to convey the overall research finding that banter is
significant to everyday identity work.
Culture, Media, Sport and Consumption 2
W702, HAMISH WOOD BUILDING
Parental Engagement in Youth Sports in Norway
Strandbu, A., Smette, I., Stefansen, K.
(Norwegian Social Research)
Parents play important roles in youths sports in Norway, as coaches, organizers and facilitators. Still, little is known
about parents' engagement in youth sports and how their engagement relate to cultural ideologies of parenthood.
In this paper we present data on the parenting practices and perceptions of parents in relation to youth sports.
Empirically we draw on data from qualitative interviews with parents in 35 families, representing a broad sample in
terms of social class. The sample covers a variety of sports, as well as both team and individual sports on different
levels.
289 BSA Annual Conference 2015
Glasgow Caledonian University