Shame, Modesty, Identity: Lived Religion In Athletic Spaces

Abstract

This doctoral dissertation examines the intersection of lived religion with sport and fitness, and in particular how fitness facility users navigate modesty values, shame, and identity. How individuals experience fitness spaces and engage in fitness in keeping with their religious practices and beliefs is often unexplored in scholarship about religiosity in sport. This research examines the experiences of individuals who hold intersecting religious and sport identities and whose full inclusion in sport may be affected by their religious beliefs and preferences, such as for single-gender fitness spaces. Using qualitative sociological methods, this study addresses the following questions: How do individuals navigate their religious identities in athletic spaces, and what limitations to full accessibility do they experience? How do fitness space users interpret and live their religious commitments? This thesis argues that athletic space limitations include physical and mental barriers. These barriers are not solely tied to the physical construction of the space itself, nor do they centre solely on religious identity. Facilities can improve accessibility by addressing both kinds of barriers through recommendations derived from this research.