Sport, Choice and Social Class: Reading Indian Female Sports Life Writings

Abstract

Sports form a continuous part of any culture, created and sustained for entertainment, pleasure, competition and bonding; founded on certain standards, interests, requirements, and resources of the sports community. Yet, the classification of some sports as ‘elite’ goes unrecognised simply because it appears to be natural and moreover it is always ‘how things are’. Traditional theories of class indicate that economic differentiation is the reason for various choices in the society. On the other hand Bourdieu has suggested that economic capital is not the only element influencing one’s choice and there are other multiple non-economic criteria too. Taking into account Bourdieu’s class concepts we seek to identify the non-economic factors that have led sportspersons in India to their choice of sport. Narrative analysis is performed for autobiographies of two female sportspersons, Saina Nehwal and Mary Kom, to highlight the different parameters that have influenced their choice of sport. The identification of such non-economic factors like a person’s mental strength, level of angst, resilience, emotional and financial well-being, and others, provide insight into the stratifications that impact sports culture in India.