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Sociogenesis of a Social Field

The Cultural World of Mountaineering in France from 1870 to 1930

Université Paul Sabatier, Toulouse, France, olivier.hoibian{at}wanadoo.fr

The realm where sports are played has often been perceived either as a no-man's land, neutral, and independent from social or political stakes as viewed by Pierre de Coubertin; or, on the contrary, as an example of capitalist domination according to Marxist terminology. Work inspired from Pierre Bourdieu's social theory has remained faithful to the concept of `a degree of self-sufficiency' with regards to these particular social practices, taking into account the cultural background at that time. Research conducted in France around this perspective has essentially dealt with the 1960s and 1970s and the advent of novel sports or new ways of practicing traditional ones considering the Cultural Revolution context of 1968. This approach however may also be explained by examining how modern sports in France were structured at the end of the 19th century. Using the theory of Social Fields to study how the world of mountaineering came to be and how it was further institutionalized, especially with regards to the `Club Alpin Français' appears to explain the previously mentioned shortcomings while at the same time renewing the debate. Originally founded upon a wide range of mountaineering practices derived from a nationalist sentiment, the cultural world of mountaineering has, since the beginning of the 21st century, witnessed a progressive autonomization revealed by the appearance of debate and controversy surrounding the rightful practice, the ranking of members, and the organization of the mountaineering certified guides as a profession.

Key Words: history • mountaineering • social field • sociology

International Review for the Sociology of Sport, Vol. 41, No. 3-4, 339-355 (2006)
DOI: 10.1177/1012690207080394


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