Experiencing flow, enjoyment and risk in skydiving and climbing

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Hardie-Bick, James and Bonner, Penny (2016) Experiencing flow, enjoyment and risk in skydiving and climbing. Ethnography, 17 (3). pp. 369-387. ISSN 1466-1381

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Abstract

This article brings together findings from two separate ethnographic studies that explore the motivations, behaviours and experiences of those who voluntarily engage in high-risk activities. Focusing on Csikszentmihalyi’s phenomenology of enjoyment, and taking a particular interest in the psychological and experiential aspects of action, the accounts of skydivers and climbers are presented and discussed in relation to each of the components Csikszentmihalyi has identified as necessary for providing a deep sense of enjoyment. The aim of the article is to show how the concept of flow provides a useful framework for understanding the attractions of engaging in high-risk pursuits that are often overlooked. This contributes to an understanding of particular rural settings,specifically mountains and flying sites, as a backdrop for meaningful action.

Item Type: Article
Keywords: Flow, Enjoyment, Risk, Skydivers, Climbers, Csikszentmihalyi
Schools and Departments: School of Law, Politics and Sociology > Sociology
Subjects: H Social Sciences
H Social Sciences > HM Sociology
Depositing User: James Hardie-Bick
Date Deposited: 25 Jul 2016 11:27
Last Modified: 03 Jul 2019 01:23
URI: http://sro.sussex.ac.uk/id/eprint/62067

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