Risk sports – social constraints and cultural imperatives

Abstract

The desire to voluntarily undertake risk in sports has been studied and theorized within various academic disciplines. From a meta-sociological point of view, this article identifies two main perspectives in the existing sociological research and theory on risk sports. On the one hand, from the compensation perspective, risk-taking in sports is understood as an escape from a constraining modern society. The adaptation perspective, on the other hand, considers participation in risk sports as an expression of personal adjustment to cultural imperatives in late modernity. The article analyses and clarifies the socio-philosophical foundations for the relations between actors, society and desire found in these two perspectives. Seemingly, the two perspectives are incompatible. However, in the final part of the article it is argued that a constructivist model of desire, allows for arguments from both perspectives to shed light on voluntary risk-taking in sports.