“That’s What Makes Somebody Circus”: The Collaborative Process of Transforming the Meaning of Pain Through Discourse in Circus Organizations
Drawing from a larger, in-depth qualitative study of thirteen circus acrobats, this study analyzes four excerpts with underlying narratives regarding pain in performing aerial acrobatics. Using Labov and Waletzky’s (1967) guiding framework for narrative analysis and Jeffersoni...
Saved in:
| Main Author: | |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Michigan Publishing
2024-06-01
|
| Series: | Circus: Arts, Life & Sciences |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://journals.publishing.umich.edu/circus/article/id/3899/ |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1850047140068327424 |
|---|---|
| author | Laura V Martinez |
| author_facet | Laura V Martinez |
| author_sort | Laura V Martinez |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description |
Drawing from a larger, in-depth qualitative study of thirteen circus acrobats, this study analyzes four excerpts with underlying narratives regarding pain in performing aerial acrobatics. Using Labov and Waletzky’s (1967) guiding framework for narrative analysis and Jeffersonian (2004) transcription, this analysis situates aerial acrobats as belonging to a community of practice in which pain is discursively constructed as a feature of membership and normalized in developing the aerialist identity. How these discourses influence and are reproduced by members’ discussions suggests that pain is expected, accepted and embraced to achieve the skill sets necessary for the performance and fulfillment of their occupational roles. Importantly, this study finds that the meaning of pain is transformed collaboratively through shared pain narratives. These findings suggest that pain fulfills multiple roles and purposes in circus performance that merit further exploration.
En partant d’une étude qualitative et approfondie à plus grande échelle menée sur treize acrobates de cirque, cette étude examine quatre extraits aux récits sous-jacents en rapport avec la douleur associée aux acrobaties aériennes. À l’aide du cadre directeur de Labov et Waletzky (1967) sur l’analyse narrative et de la transcription de Jefferson (2004), cette étude considère que les acrobates aérien·ne·s appartiennent à une communauté de pratique au sein de laquelle la douleur est construite dans le discours comme un trait d’appartenance et normalisée dans le développement de l’identité des acrobates. La manière dont ces discours exercent une influence et sont repris dans les discussions entre les membres suggère que la douleur est inévitable, acceptée et intégrée en vue d’atteindre le niveau d’aptitude nécessaire pour assurer la performance et remplir son rôle professionnel. Surtout, cette étude révèle que le sens du mot « douleur » est transformé collectivement à travers le partage de récits sur la douleur. Ces conclusions font penser que la douleur joue différents rôles et vise des objectifs multiples dans le spectacle circassien qui mériteraient des recherches plus approfondies.
|
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-2a8500e8fafb4cc09807624f335cce72 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2836-6611 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-06-01 |
| publisher | Michigan Publishing |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Circus: Arts, Life & Sciences |
| spelling | doaj-art-2a8500e8fafb4cc09807624f335cce722025-08-20T02:54:18ZengMichigan PublishingCircus: Arts, Life & Sciences2836-66112024-06-013110.3998/circus.3899“That’s What Makes Somebody Circus”: The Collaborative Process of Transforming the Meaning of Pain Through Discourse in Circus OrganizationsLaura V Martinez0https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7905-1852Communication Studies, University of Nevada, Las Vegas Drawing from a larger, in-depth qualitative study of thirteen circus acrobats, this study analyzes four excerpts with underlying narratives regarding pain in performing aerial acrobatics. Using Labov and Waletzky’s (1967) guiding framework for narrative analysis and Jeffersonian (2004) transcription, this analysis situates aerial acrobats as belonging to a community of practice in which pain is discursively constructed as a feature of membership and normalized in developing the aerialist identity. How these discourses influence and are reproduced by members’ discussions suggests that pain is expected, accepted and embraced to achieve the skill sets necessary for the performance and fulfillment of their occupational roles. Importantly, this study finds that the meaning of pain is transformed collaboratively through shared pain narratives. These findings suggest that pain fulfills multiple roles and purposes in circus performance that merit further exploration. En partant d’une étude qualitative et approfondie à plus grande échelle menée sur treize acrobates de cirque, cette étude examine quatre extraits aux récits sous-jacents en rapport avec la douleur associée aux acrobaties aériennes. À l’aide du cadre directeur de Labov et Waletzky (1967) sur l’analyse narrative et de la transcription de Jefferson (2004), cette étude considère que les acrobates aérien·ne·s appartiennent à une communauté de pratique au sein de laquelle la douleur est construite dans le discours comme un trait d’appartenance et normalisée dans le développement de l’identité des acrobates. La manière dont ces discours exercent une influence et sont repris dans les discussions entre les membres suggère que la douleur est inévitable, acceptée et intégrée en vue d’atteindre le niveau d’aptitude nécessaire pour assurer la performance et remplir son rôle professionnel. Surtout, cette étude révèle que le sens du mot « douleur » est transformé collectivement à travers le partage de récits sur la douleur. Ces conclusions font penser que la douleur joue différents rôles et vise des objectifs multiples dans le spectacle circassien qui mériteraient des recherches plus approfondies. https://journals.publishing.umich.edu/circus/article/id/3899/circuspaindiscourse analysisnarrative analysisaerial acrobaticscommunity of practice |
| spellingShingle | Laura V Martinez “That’s What Makes Somebody Circus”: The Collaborative Process of Transforming the Meaning of Pain Through Discourse in Circus Organizations Circus: Arts, Life & Sciences circus pain discourse analysis narrative analysis aerial acrobatics community of practice |
| title | “That’s What Makes Somebody Circus”: The Collaborative Process of Transforming the Meaning of Pain Through Discourse in Circus Organizations |
| title_full | “That’s What Makes Somebody Circus”: The Collaborative Process of Transforming the Meaning of Pain Through Discourse in Circus Organizations |
| title_fullStr | “That’s What Makes Somebody Circus”: The Collaborative Process of Transforming the Meaning of Pain Through Discourse in Circus Organizations |
| title_full_unstemmed | “That’s What Makes Somebody Circus”: The Collaborative Process of Transforming the Meaning of Pain Through Discourse in Circus Organizations |
| title_short | “That’s What Makes Somebody Circus”: The Collaborative Process of Transforming the Meaning of Pain Through Discourse in Circus Organizations |
| title_sort | that s what makes somebody circus the collaborative process of transforming the meaning of pain through discourse in circus organizations |
| topic | circus pain discourse analysis narrative analysis aerial acrobatics community of practice |
| url | https://journals.publishing.umich.edu/circus/article/id/3899/ |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT lauravmartinez thatswhatmakessomebodycircusthecollaborativeprocessoftransformingthemeaningofpainthroughdiscourseincircusorganizations |