‘If You Don’t Want to Get Hurt, Don’t Play Hockey’: The Uneasy Efforts of Hockey Injury Prevention in Canada
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[1] University of Ottawa
University of Ottawa
Canadá
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[2] Thompson Rivers University
Thompson Rivers University
Canadá
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- Localización: Sociology of sport journal, ISSN 0741-1235, Vol. 32, Nº. 3, 2015, págs. 248-265
- Idioma: inglés
- Texto completo no disponible (Saber más ...)
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Resumen
Ice hockey is known for its speed, skill and aggression. This paper uses an analyses of injuries in boys’ minor leagues and primary documents to examine competing discourses that surround participant safety which give meaning to broader hockey practices. We problematize a prevailing discourse that preserves the physicality of Canadian hockey and an emerging reverse discourse that prioritizes player safety. Theoretically informed by Foucault’s concepts of discourse, knowledge and power relations, we interpret the relationships between these two competing discursive streams which have created a public controversy, particularly concerning body checking, and intensified a polarizing national debate. Ultimately, we argue that these discourses impact the implementation of progressive injury prevention initiatives in minor hockey and youth sport.
