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Learning to get drunk : The importance of drinking in Japanese university sports clubs

Sylvester, Kate LU and McDonald, Brent (2013) In International Review for the Sociology of Sport 49. p.331-345
Abstract
This paper draws on two ethnographic research projects in Japanese university sports clubs to examine the role alcohol plays in the social and cultural education of students. Over the course of a four-year membership, the university sports club is a site where members learn to negotiate drinking. This negotiation is demonstrated by the range of strategies members employ when engaging in one of the many official drinking parties that punctuate the university sports club calendar. Knowing how to drink is seen as an important byproduct of being a member and this knowledge is acquired via the pedagogical relationships established between junior and senior members. On graduating university Japanese students are literally expected to become full... (More)
This paper draws on two ethnographic research projects in Japanese university sports clubs to examine the role alcohol plays in the social and cultural education of students. Over the course of a four-year membership, the university sports club is a site where members learn to negotiate drinking. This negotiation is demonstrated by the range of strategies members employ when engaging in one of the many official drinking parties that punctuate the university sports club calendar. Knowing how to drink is seen as an important byproduct of being a member and this knowledge is acquired via the pedagogical relationships established between junior and senior members. On graduating university Japanese students are literally expected to become full members of society and it is the habitus related to social interaction (including drinking) rather than that related to sport, which has enduring capital. Alcohol plays a central role in many aspects of Japanese social interaction and the university sports club is a site par excellence for the training in and mastery of such skills. (Less)
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author
and
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
alcohol, capital, ethnography, Japan, university sports clubs
in
International Review for the Sociology of Sport
volume
49
pages
331 - 345
publisher
SAGE Publications
external identifiers
  • scopus:84903388492
DOI
10.1177/1012690213506584
language
English
LU publication?
no
id
eda1123e-bf06-461d-80c6-50bca020b992
date added to LUP
2021-03-08 19:28:31
date last changed
2022-03-26 18:29:46
@article{eda1123e-bf06-461d-80c6-50bca020b992,
  abstract     = {{This paper draws on two ethnographic research projects in Japanese university sports clubs to examine the role alcohol plays in the social and cultural education of students. Over the course of a four-year membership, the university sports club is a site where members learn to negotiate drinking. This negotiation is demonstrated by the range of strategies members employ when engaging in one of the many official drinking parties that punctuate the university sports club calendar. Knowing how to drink is seen as an important byproduct of being a member and this knowledge is acquired via the pedagogical relationships established between junior and senior members. On graduating university Japanese students are literally expected to become full members of society and it is the habitus related to social interaction (including drinking) rather than that related to sport, which has enduring capital. Alcohol plays a central role in many aspects of Japanese social interaction and the university sports club is a site par excellence for the training in and mastery of such skills.}},
  author       = {{Sylvester, Kate and McDonald, Brent}},
  keywords     = {{alcohol; capital; ethnography; Japan; university sports clubs}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{10}},
  pages        = {{331--345}},
  publisher    = {{SAGE Publications}},
  series       = {{International Review for the Sociology of Sport}},
  title        = {{Learning to get drunk : The importance of drinking in Japanese university sports clubs}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1012690213506584}},
  doi          = {{10.1177/1012690213506584}},
  volume       = {{49}},
  year         = {{2013}},
}