Abstract

Triathlon status symbols allow community members to gain prestige. The accrual of paraphernalia, such as race apparel and bumper stickers, provide individuals with a means to display their accomplishments for non-participants, too. Ethnographic fieldwork, questionnaires and interviews provided insight into a variety of experiences. The individual nature of the sport is reflected by a participant‘s decision to display status markers. Car signs (e.g., bumper stickers and license plate frames) are displayed by a quarter of race participants. They come in a variety of forms allowing the car‘s driver to communicate with triathletes and non-triathletes while driving on the road. The most prestigious triathlon race is the Ironman. The M Dot Ironman logo appears as a decal on vehicles and as a mark of permanence on the body. Tattoos act as a formal communication system in a similar manner to car signs. Triathletes display status symbols to garner respect from their peers and separate themselves from the larger society.

Details

Title
Status symbols in triathlete culture
Author
Slotnick, Adam
Year
2012
Publisher
ProQuest Dissertations & Theses
ISBN
978-1-267-94838-0
Source type
Dissertation or Thesis
Language of publication
English
ProQuest document ID
1315745712
Copyright
Database copyright ProQuest LLC; ProQuest does not claim copyright in the individual underlying works.