Exploring the embodied, performative and social world of personal trainers
View/ open
Author
Portsmouth, Linley
Date
2011Publisher
University of Wales
Metadata
Show full item recordAbstract
Although research has been conducted into the social world of Personal Trainers, this study tries to further the knowledge and understanding of this topic area. The focus of this research is in the area of Personal Trainers and the social patterns through the medium of contemporary theory to identify patterns and anomalies so to increase the knowledge base and understanding of this topic area. The research approach adopted in this study includes qualitative semi structured interviews conducted with two male and one female Personal Trainers. The findings from the study provide evidence that there is a Personal Trainer habitus with the main disposition being the need to conform to specific body shapes. There are also gender differences in clients and Personal Trainers and finally there were detrimental effects of injury on the Personal Trainer identity and their occupational identity. The main conclusions from the study are there is a high level of importance placed on body modification and the need for the commercial ‘look’ in Personal Trainers, furthermore, when a Personal Trainer sustains an injury, a loss of confidence and focus occurs causing harm to their identity as a Personal Trainer and their occupational identity. The study recommends that to further the research, the relationship between society’s body image and Personal Trainers body image and the effects of ageing and retirement on the Personal Trainer’s identity should be addressed in order to increase the knowledge and understanding of Personal Trainers and the social world around them.
Description
BA Enterprise Project
Collections
Related items
Showing items related by title, author, subject and abstract.
-
Your fitness business enterprise: Evaluation of the potential and feasibility of setting up and running a mobile personal training company in Cardiff.
Doe, Thomas (Cardiff Metropolitan University, 2007)This is an enterprise project looking at the feasibility of running a mobile personal training business in Cardiff. The author chose to conduct this study as he has a passion for fitness and health and would like to take ... -
An investigation into the factors involved in the formation and construction of teachers identity.
Winfield, Mitch (University of Wales Institute, Cardiff., 2011)The development and maintenance of a strong teaching identity is regarded by many educational researchers to be fundamental to the personal and professional aspects of teaching (Fautley & Savage,2010; Hamel & Ryken, 2010 ... -
Children’s perceptions of their own national identity and what it means to be Welsh
Murphy, Alison (2017)The thesis examines primary school children’s understanding of their own national identity and their perceptions about what it means to be Welsh. Both topics are investigated from a qualitative standpoint and contribute ...