Ethnographic Observation and In-Depth Interviews: Legitimate Violence in Ice Hockey

Abstract

Violence in ice hockey is legitimised through the culture of the game. However, much research on this area has been undertaken through statistical quantitative research which is unable to assess the extent to which culture and character impact on the occurrence of violence in the game. The sport is unusual in terms of its legitimacy of violent incidences, including bare-knuckle fist fights in the course of the game. Media accounts of hockey violence explain that the culture of the sport justifies this violent behaviour; yet, academic research from a cultural standpoint is sparse. This research takes a qualitative ethnographic methodology which focuses on in-depth observation and accounts of players in how they justify their violent behaviour and the extent of violent acts within the sport. Based on ethnographic observation of a professional hockey team in the UK's Elite Ice Hockey League and in-depth interviews, this mixed method qualitative study gives an insight into the cultural legitimacy of fighting in the sport.

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