Abstract
The primary purpose of this study is to explore the experiences of South Korean women “doing serious leisure” in what is widely known as a stigmatized activity, pole dance. It seeks to understand the experiences of South Korean women participating in pole dance and to investigate the strategies that are used to cope with the stigma that is experienced during participation. A qualitative research method was applied with an “insider” approach to collecting data. Data were collected through participation observations and in-depth interviews. The findings suggest that South Korean pole participants construct unstigmatized identities through their engagement in pole with its social stereotypes and stigma. Participants’ identities have been firmly embedded as “pole dancers”, “pole athletes”, or “polers”, which they do not feel the need to elucidate to those who are not active members. Their identities are surrounded and intertwined with their rationalized reason for participating in pole dance as serious leisure, along with their individual dedication which manifests their commitment by entering competitions and upgrading their pole skills. Participants and the pole dance community create a social atmosphere where their participation is not taken with stigma but rather with serious dedication to form their own interpretation of pole dance.
Highlights
The etymology of the word ‘stigma’ originated from a Greek noun meaning ‘a mark’ or ‘a dot’(Goffman 1963)
Despite their professional careers having no relation to physical movement and activities, participants do not seem to have any trouble in considering themselves “pole dancers”, “polers”, and “pole athletes”
This study focuses on the concept of serious leisure as a framework to understand the experiences of female pole participants in Seoul, South Korea
Summary
The etymology of the word ‘stigma’ originated from a Greek noun meaning ‘a mark’ or ‘a dot’(Goffman 1963). In the modern usage of the word, its meaning has changed from figuratively labeling a category of people with moral problems or associated with deviant activities to including people who differ from traditional social roles and have attributes that are not confined to those of society, viewed as ‘abnormal’ (Goffman 1963; Link and Phelan 2001). These marginalized groups of people experience inhumane treatment such as verbal assault, social disapproval and isolation. Amateurism is well linked with professionalism in which both characteristics show strong commitment and deep involvement, amateurs are most likely to be viewed as “near professional”, due to the fact that the commitment of the amateur does not necessarily point to a professional career (Stebbins 1982)
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