Grappling With Race: The Performance of Identity in Prizefighting Promotion

Abstract

This content analysis explores the world of the most mass-audience prizefighting events (i.e., boxing and mixed martial arts) over a recent five-year span in terms of social identity patterns related to the pursuit of positive distinctiveness. Specifically, social identity related to race/ethnicity is examined with regard to three categories of behavior associated with positive distinctiveness: (1) aggression, (2) ego-enhancement acts, and (3) embracing sociocultural cues. A number of positive distinctiveness behavior patterns were observed to be significant, indicating systematic differences in how these fighters chose to bolster their self-image and social identity as a function of racial/ethnic representation. Implications of observed patterns are discussed with reference to social cognitive theory, cultivation theory, and critical race theory.