Youth Cycling Organisation and Identity

Permier Work In Progress des jeunes chercheur-se-s en sciences du sport

Conférencière: Rachel Cunningham, doctorante FNS en sciences sociales du sport

Titre: Youth Cycling Organisation and Identity 

Abstract: With the growth of youth training academies across sports, there has concurrently been a rise in the number of research studies looking at these institutions and its members across domains such as sociology, psychology and sports science. But less is known about how the academy and its organisational factors such as structural empowerment impact upon the level and form of organisational commitment experienced by the young athletes. Neither has this been looked at in relation to the expression of athletic identity. Previous research looking at the relationship between structural empowerment and organisational commitment identified a positive connection between the presence of and access to structural empowerment, and greater organisational commitment, specifically affective commitment (Cho, Laschinger, & Wong, 2006). Contrary to this, empowerment has been argued as a means of controlling the identity of individuals by integrating agendas that directly influence the ‘insides’ of people and therefore reducing their options for an alternative identity (McDonald, 2004). In the domain of sociological social psychology, it is widely accepted that there is a relationship between the social structure and individuals (Stryker, 1980) and that commitment is a means of attachment of the self to the organisation and form of self-expression (Kanter, 1972). In organisational research and organisational psychology, organisational commitment has been conceived of as an individual’s psychological attachment to an organisation. Therefore, it is pertinent to consider whether certain organisational factors and conditions contribute to these young cyclist’s commitment to the organisation and if there are specific approaches to organising sports academies in which athletes show more or less commitment (and in which form). The following will discuss the experiences of young cyclists inside two academies and consider how organisational factors such as structural empowerment might be experienced, and the potential implications of such factors on organisational commitment and the expression of athletic identity.

Début à 17.15, fin 18.30

Communication de 30 minutes suivie d'une discussion-débat

Le WIP sera suivi d'un apéritif