Abstract
In recent years there has been growing concern about concussion in sport in general andrugby union in particular. The qualitative study reported here draws on interviews with adultplayers in non-elite club rugby union in Ireland in order to explore the frames of referencewithin which they perceive, give meaning to and manage concussion. Within a sportingsubculture which emphasises lay sporting values – particularly the value of “playing hurt” –and which reflects a functional view of injury, non-elite players tend to display an irreverentattitude towards concussion which encourages risky behaviours and underplays, ignores ordenies the significance of concussion. These beliefs and actions are described analogously asbeing “head strong”. The presentation also identifies the contextual contingencies whichmake the regulation of injuries in rugby union so difficult and suggests some core principlesof public health education campaigns that might be deployed to militate against the highincidence of concussive injury in future.
Original language | English |
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Title of host publication | Unknown Host Publication |
Publisher | Sociological Association of Ireland |
Number of pages | 10 |
Publication status | Accepted/In press - 6 May 2017 |
Event | Sociological Association of Ireland - Ulster University, Belfast Campus Duration: 6 May 2017 → … |
Conference
Conference | Sociological Association of Ireland |
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Period | 6/05/17 → … |
Keywords
- concussion
- pain
- injury
- rugby union