Scott, Susie (2009) Re-clothing the emperor: the swimming pool as a negotiated order. Symbolic Interaction, 32 (2). pp. 123-145. ISSN 01956086

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Abstract

This article examines the unspoken rules, routines, and rituals of the swimming pool, using ideas from negotiated order theory, Foucault, Goffman's dramaturgical theory, and symbolic interactionism. It identifies three sets of social norms: respect for personal space, respect for individuals' disciplinary regimes, and the desexualization of encounters. I show how these rules are (normally) followed or (occasionally) breached through various rituals, and examine the consequences for interaction order. The tale of "The Emperor's New Clothes" is used analogously to explain why actors cannot consciously attend to their precarious construction of reality, yet remain poised to defend it.

Item Type:	Article
Schools and Departments:	School of Law, Politics and Sociology > Sociology
Depositing User:	Susie Scott
Date Deposited:	06 Feb 2012 19:29
Last Modified:	20 Jun 2012 11:04
URI:	http://sro.sussex.ac.uk/id/eprint/20798

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