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Managing alternative sports: new organisational spaces for the diffusion of Italian parkour

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  23 February 2016

Raffaella Ferrero Camoletto ,
Davide Sterchele  and
Carlo Genova
Raffaella Ferrero Camoletto*
Affiliation:
Department of Cultures, Politics and Society, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
Davide Sterchele
Affiliation:
Institute for Sport, Physical Activity and Leisure, Leeds Beckett University, Leeds, UK
Carlo Genova
Affiliation:
Department of Cultures, Politics and Society, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
*
∗Corresponding author. Email: [email protected]
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Abstract

This article explores the encounter between parkour as an unstructured and culturally innovative practice, challenging both physical as well as organisational spaces, and UISP (Unione Italiana Sport per Tutti/Italian Union of Sport for All) as a sport-promotion body open to organisational and cultural experimentation. Drawing on a multi-method qualitative approach (analysis of documentary material, interviews and focus groups), it looks at the role of UISP in the diffusion and legitimisation of parkour within the Italian context, investigating the interplay between the cultural and organisational logics of both this new practice itself on the one hand, and the organisations that are trying to accommodate it on the other. The incorporation in a sport-for-all organisation like UISP provides traceurs with a safe and legitimised space, which is, however, ‘loose' enough to maintain the fluidity of the practice. Nonetheless, by enabling the coexistence of different and competing definitions and uses of parkour, this fluid organisational space reproduces tensions among traceurs and weakens their voice in UISP's decision-making processes.

L'articolo esplora l'incontro tra il parkour come pratica non formalizzata e culturalmente innovativa, che costituisce una sfida dal punto di vista degli spazi sia fisici che organizzativi, e la UISP (Unione Italiana Sport per Tutti) in quanto ente di promozione sportiva aperto alla sperimentazione sia sul piano organizzativo che su quello culturale.

Sulla base di un approccio qualitativo multi-metodo (analisi di materiale documentario, interviste, focus group), ci focalizziamo sul ruolo della UISP nel processo di diffusione e legittimazione del parkour all'interno del contesto italiano, indagando l'intreccio tra logiche culturali e organizzative di questa nuova pratica, da un lato, e delle organizzazioni che stanno cercando di accoglierla, dall'altro.

L'inclusione all'interno di un ente di promozione sportiva come la UISP offre ai traceurs uno spazio sicuro e legittimo, ma al tempo stesso sufficientemente ‘flessibile’ da mantenere la fluidità della pratica.

Tuttavia, rendendo possibile la coesistenza di definizioni e usi del parkour tra loro differenti e in competizione, questo spazio organizzativo fluido riproduce le tensioni esistenti tra i traceurs e indebolisce la loro partecipazione ai processi decisionali all'interno della UISP.

Keywords

parkourspaceorganisationcultural politicsyouth
Type
Research Article
Information
Modern Italy , Volume 20 , Issue 3 , August 2015 , pp. 307 - 319
Copyright
Copyright © 2015 Association for the study of Modern Italy 

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