Bodybuilding Clubs as Creators of Fit Bodies: A Case Study of Women Members of Shiraz Bodybuilding Clubs

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 PhD student in sociology, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran

2 Assistant Professor of Sociology Department, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran

Abstract

Although fatness is a medical issue, it strongly adheres to cultural logic. Nowadays, cultural logic dictates weight loss and sends a lot of people to weight loss and fitness centers. In the meantime, women and their bodies have been judged more. Therefore, the present study has tried to answer the question of why and under what conditions women go to sports clubs and what strategies they adopt. In this regard, the qualitative approach of grounded theory was used. The participants were twelve women who referred to the clubs of Shiraz. Data were collected through semi-structured in-depth interviews. After the presence of the researcher in the research field, based on the data obtained from the field, in-depth interviews were conducted with the individuals and the interviews continued until the theoretical saturation was reached. Data analysis was performed by open, axial and selective triple coding method. Analysis of the findings led to the creation of six axial categories and one core category. Key categories include: fitness as a measure of beauty, important others' expectations, body empowerment, media representation duality, lifestyle priority over medication, and other social endorsements. The core category is: self-regulation and other social validation.

Highlights

Alvarado, M., Murphy, M. M., &Guell, C. (2015). “Barriers and facilitators to physical activity amongst overweight and obese women in an Afro-Caribbean population: A qualitative study”, International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, 12(1), 1-12.

Brewis, A. A. (2014). “Stigma and the perpetuation of obesity”, Social Science & Medicine, 118, 152-158.

Cash, T. F. (2004). Body image: Past, present, and future. Body Image, 1, 1- 5.

Ehsani, M. & Shamsipoor, S. (2005). “A survey of customers' opinions of women's gym in Isfahan”, Harakat Magazine, pp: 149-135. (Persian).

Franco, J. (2008). “Extreme Makeover: The Politics of Gender, Class, and Cultural Identity”, Television &New Media, Vol: 9, No: 6, 471-468.

Hassanipour, S., Fath Alipour, M., Daryabeigi Khutbehsara, R. and Soheili Azad, A. (2016). “Study of overweight and obesity in medical students in Tehran in 2015”, Tanin Salamat Journal, 4 (4): pp:45-40. (Persian)

- Heidari Cherodeh, M and Kermani, M (2011). “The Relationship between Aesthetic Beliefs and Mental Image of Body and How to Manage Appearance in the Study Youth: 18 to 30-year-old youth living in Mashhad”, Iranian Journal of Social Studies (4). (Persian).

Luszczynska, A., Sobczyk, A., & Abraham, C. (2007). “Planning to lose weight: Randomized controlled trial of an implementation intention prompt to enhance weight reduction among overweight and obese women”, Health Psychology, 26(4), 507.

Mohsenzadeh, R., Atabak, M. and Arabpour, E. (2016). “Representation of identity through body in bodybuilding clubs in Tehran” (Case study of five bodybuilding clubs in Tehran)”, Cultural Studies and Communication, 11 (39): pp: 60-37. (Persian)

Nowruzi, A., Maleki, A., Parsamehr, M. and Ghasemi, H. (2019). “Investigating the effect of body image and body management on women's sports participation in Ilam province”, Applied Sociology, 29 (4): pp: 122-99.

Parsamehr, M. & Nikonejad, M. & Madahi, J. & Karimi, Y. (2015). “Investigating the factors related to body image dissatisfaction among bodybuilding athletes in Yazd”, Strategic Studies of Sports and Youth, 15: pp: 108-99. (Persian).

Poundehnejadan, A, Attari, Y. and Dardaneh, H. (2019). “Predicting quality of life based on conscious eating mediated by body image and eating behaviors in overweight and obese - married women”, Journal of Culture of Counseling and Psychotherapy, 9 (34): PP:170-141. (Persian).

Rad, Fand Bilan, G. (2016). “Assessing the social factors related to the tendency towards body beauty ideals among women in Tabriz, Women in Development and Politics”, 14 (3): pp:378-361. (Persian).

Rostami, N. and Rad, F. (2020). “Sociological Explanation of Body Management among Female Athletes”, Social Psychological Studies of Women, 17 (1): pp: 94-63. (Persian).

Salomon, I., & Brown, C. S. (2019). “The selfie generation: Examining the relationship between social media use and early adolescent body image”, The Journal of Early Adolescence, 39(4), 539-560.

Saukko, P. (2008). “I Feel Ridiculous about Having Had It Critical Readings of Lived and Mediated Stories on Eating Disorders”, In Critical Bodies (pp. 43-59). Palgrave Macmillan, London.

Schvey, N. A., Sbrocco, T., Bakalar, J. L., Ress, R., Barmine, M., Gorlick, J., ... & Tanofsky-Kraff, M. (2017). “The experience of weight stigma among gym members with overweight and obesity”, Stigma and Health, 2(4), 292. ‌

Shahbazi, M., Choobineh, S. and Ezzati, R. (2020). “Psychological pathology and the prevalence of sports supplement use in female athletes”, Sports Psychology Studies, 8 (30): pp: 76-57. (Persian).

Strauss, A. & Corbin, J. (2013). “Fundamentals of Qualitative Research, Techniques and Stages of Production of Background Theory”, translated by Ebrahim Afshar, Tehran: Ney Publishing. (Persian).

Vaidya, V. (2006). Psychosocial aspects of obesity. In V. Vaidya (Eds). Health and Treatment Strategies in Obesity. (pp. 73-85). Basel Press.

Wang, S. S., Brownell, K. D., &Wadden, T. A. (2004). “The influence of the stigma of obesity on overweight individuals”, International journal of obesity, 28(10), 1333-1337.

Zakai, M and Sedighi, S. (2016). “Femininity and Sports, Social Psychological Studies of Women”, 13 (2): pp: 92-67. (Persian).

Zare Ahmadabadi, M. and Pondehnejadan, A. (2012). “Comparison of the effectiveness of three methods of diet therapy, diet therapy with exercise and diet therapy with cognitive behavioral therapy on weight loss and improving life satisfaction of obese and overweight male employees of the National Iranian Drilling Company”, Journal of Counseling Culture and Psychotherapy, 3 (12): pp:93-123. (Persian).

 

Keywords

References

Alvarado, M., Murphy, M. M., &Guell, C. (2015). “Barriers and facilitators to physical activity amongst overweight and obese women in an Afro-Caribbean population: A qualitative study”, International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, 12(1), 1-12.
Brewis, A. A. (2014). “Stigma and the perpetuation of obesity”, Social Science & Medicine, 118, 152-158.
Cash, T. F. (2004). Body image: Past, present, and future. Body Image, 1, 1- 5.
Ehsani, M. & Shamsipoor, S. (2005). “A survey of customers' opinions of women's gym in Isfahan”, Harakat Magazine, pp: 149-135. (Persian).
Franco, J. (2008). “Extreme Makeover: The Politics of Gender, Class, and Cultural Identity”, Television &New Media, Vol: 9, No: 6, 471-468.
Hassanipour, S., Fath Alipour, M., Daryabeigi Khutbehsara, R. and Soheili Azad, A. (2016). “Study of overweight and obesity in medical students in Tehran in 2015”, Tanin Salamat Journal, 4 (4): pp:45-40. (Persian)
- Heidari Cherodeh, M and Kermani, M (2011). “The Relationship between Aesthetic Beliefs and Mental Image of Body and How to Manage Appearance in the Study Youth: 18 to 30-year-old youth living in Mashhad”, Iranian Journal of Social Studies (4). (Persian).
Luszczynska, A., Sobczyk, A., & Abraham, C. (2007). “Planning to lose weight: Randomized controlled trial of an implementation intention prompt to enhance weight reduction among overweight and obese women”, Health Psychology, 26(4), 507.
Mohsenzadeh, R., Atabak, M. and Arabpour, E. (2016). “Representation of identity through body in bodybuilding clubs in Tehran” (Case study of five bodybuilding clubs in Tehran)”, Cultural Studies and Communication, 11 (39): pp: 60-37. (Persian)
Nowruzi, A., Maleki, A., Parsamehr, M. and Ghasemi, H. (2019). “Investigating the effect of body image and body management on women's sports participation in Ilam province”, Applied Sociology, 29 (4): pp: 122-99.
Parsamehr, M. & Nikonejad, M. & Madahi, J. & Karimi, Y. (2015). “Investigating the factors related to body image dissatisfaction among bodybuilding athletes in Yazd”, Strategic Studies of Sports and Youth, 15: pp: 108-99. (Persian).
Poundehnejadan, A, Attari, Y. and Dardaneh, H. (2019). “Predicting quality of life based on conscious eating mediated by body image and eating behaviors in overweight and obese - married women”, Journal of Culture of Counseling and Psychotherapy, 9 (34): PP:170-141. (Persian).
Rad, Fand Bilan, G. (2016). “Assessing the social factors related to the tendency towards body beauty ideals among women in Tabriz, Women in Development and Politics”, 14 (3): pp:378-361. (Persian).
Rostami, N. and Rad, F. (2020). “Sociological Explanation of Body Management among Female Athletes”, Social Psychological Studies of Women, 17 (1): pp: 94-63. (Persian).
Salomon, I., & Brown, C. S. (2019). “The selfie generation: Examining the relationship between social media use and early adolescent body image”, The Journal of Early Adolescence, 39(4), 539-560.
Saukko, P. (2008). “I Feel Ridiculous about Having Had It Critical Readings of Lived and Mediated Stories on Eating Disorders”, In Critical Bodies (pp. 43-59). Palgrave Macmillan, London.
Schvey, N. A., Sbrocco, T., Bakalar, J. L., Ress, R., Barmine, M., Gorlick, J., ... & Tanofsky-Kraff, M. (2017). “The experience of weight stigma among gym members with overweight and obesity”, Stigma and Health, 2(4), 292. ‌
Shahbazi, M., Choobineh, S. and Ezzati, R. (2020). “Psychological pathology and the prevalence of sports supplement use in female athletes”, Sports Psychology Studies, 8 (30): pp: 76-57. (Persian).
Strauss, A. & Corbin, J. (2013). “Fundamentals of Qualitative Research, Techniques and Stages of Production of Background Theory”, translated by Ebrahim Afshar, Tehran: Ney Publishing. (Persian).
Vaidya, V. (2006). Psychosocial aspects of obesity. In V. Vaidya (Eds). Health and Treatment Strategies in Obesity. (pp. 73-85). Basel Press.
Wang, S. S., Brownell, K. D., &Wadden, T. A. (2004). “The influence of the stigma of obesity on overweight individuals”, International journal of obesity, 28(10), 1333-1337.
Zakai, M and Sedighi, S. (2016). “Femininity and Sports, Social Psychological Studies of Women”, 13 (2): pp: 92-67. (Persian).
Zare Ahmadabadi, M. and Pondehnejadan, A. (2012). “Comparison of the effectiveness of three methods of diet therapy, diet therapy with exercise and diet therapy with cognitive behavioral therapy on weight loss and improving life satisfaction of obese and overweight male employees of the National Iranian Drilling Company”, Journal of Counseling Culture and Psychotherapy, 3 (12): pp:93-123. (Persian).
 
Quarterly Journal of Social Development (Previously Human Development)
Volume 16, Issue 4 - Serial Number 64
Vol. 16, No. 4, Summer 2022
September 2022
Pages 95-126

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