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Humanitarian Athletic Participation and Identity Work.
Amanda Terrell1, Benjamin Houltberg2, Sarah Brown1
1Human Environmental Sciences, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR, United States.
Frontiers in Sports and Active Living
|November 15, 2021
Summary
Adolescents and young adults found that running marathons for humanitarian causes helped them discover their current selves and existing capacities, fostering identity development and a sense of purpose.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Psychology
- Sport Psychology
- Sociology of Sport
Background:
- While youth purpose and volunteerism are widely studied, fewer investigations explore how altruistic activities influence identity development in athletic settings.
- Endurance-based humanitarian fundraising, like marathon running, is a growing volunteer trend among adolescents and young adults, yet its developmental impact remains underexplored.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify prominent themes emerging from the experiences of adolescents and young adults training for and participating in humanitarian marathons.
- To examine the intersection of humanitarian marathon running and identity development, focusing on faith, purpose, and social connection.
Main Methods:
- Qualitative study involving interviews with 24 participants aged 15-21 years.
- Thematic analysis was employed to identify dominant themes related to humanitarian marathon experiences and identity work.
Main Results:
- Four dominant themes emerged: identity work, faith, purpose, and social connection.
- Participants' experiences during marathon training and participation were central to their narratives.
- The study highlighted participants' self-discovery of current capabilities rather than exploration of future selves.
Conclusions:
- Humanitarian marathon running serves as a significant context for adolescent and young adult identity development.
- The experience fosters a deeper understanding of one's present self and existing capacities, alongside faith, purpose, and social connection.
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