Du sport associatif à la pratique de la remise en forme à Amsterdam

• Main Authors: Sylvain Ferez, Agnès Elling
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Métropoles 2009-04-01
• Series: Métropoles
• Subjects: body; Fitness; Homosexuality; non-place; Sport
• Online Access: http://journals.openedition.org/metropoles/3868

The sport practices of the homosexual population take place in various kinds of environments. It is nevertheless possible to distinguish two main sport/training environments that are associated to the gay community: the homosexual labelled sport clubs and some fitness centres. At first view, these two spaces can be opposed according to their legal status: the first ones are non-benefit places while the second ones are commercial. But they also correspond to different ways to consider and to involve the body. Comparing ethnographic data gathered in a gay fitness centre of Amsterdam to previous data on the homosexual sport clubs, the fitness centre could be perceived as a “passing through” place in contradiction to the traditional sport places that favour durable social links. It could also be qualified as a high technological space permitting and encouraging autonomous training and body self-management. It’s finally possible to question the kind of individuality that can be performed and built in this non-place.