Beyond Health and Happiness: An Exploratory Study Into the Relationship Between Craftsmanship and Meaningfulness of Sport

in Sociology of Sport Journal

Click name to view affiliation

Noora J. RonkainenUniversity of Jyväskylä
Liverpool John Moores University

Search for other papers by Noora J. Ronkainen in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMedClose
*
,
Michael McDougallLiverpool John Moores University
Keystone College

Search for other papers by Michael McDougall in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMedClose
*
,
Olli TikkanenPhysical Activity Researcher Podcast

Search for other papers by Olli Tikkanen in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMedClose
*
,
Niels FeddersenLiverpool John Moores University

Search for other papers by Niels Feddersen in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMedClose
*
, and
Richard TahtinenLiverpool John Moores University
University of Akureyri

Search for other papers by Richard Tahtinen in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMedClose
*
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1123/ssj.2020-0047
First Published Online:
18 Nov 2020
In Print:
Volume 38: Issue 4
Page Range:
345–354
Restricted access

Meaning in movement is an enduring topic in sport social sciences, but few studies have explored how sport is meaningful and for whom. The authors examined the relationships between demographic variables, meaningfulness of sport, and craftsmanship. Athletes (N = 258, 61.6% male, age ≥18) from the United Kingdom completed a demographic questionnaire, the Work and Meaning Inventory modified for sport, and the Craftsmanship Scale. Older age and individual sport significantly correlated with higher craftsmanship. Craftsmanship and religion were two independent predictors of meaningfulness, but emphasized somewhat different meaning dimensions. Meaningfulness in sport seems to be related to how athletes approach their craft, as well as their overall framework of life meaning.

Ronkainen is with the Department of Psychology, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, Finland. Ronkainen, McDougall, Feddersen, and Tahtinen are with the School of Sport and Exercise Sciences, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, United Kingdom. McDougall is also with the Turock School of Arts and Sciences, Keystone College, La Plume, PA, USA. Tikkanen is with the Physical Activity Researcher Podcast, Finland. Tahtinen is also with the Faculty of Psychology, University of Akureyri, Akureyri, Iceland.

Ronkainen (noora.j.ronkainen@jyu.fi) is corresponding author.
  • Collapse
  • Expand

Sociology of Sport Journal

Cover Sociology of Sport Journal

  • Aggerholm, K. (2014). Talent development, existential philosophy and sport: On becoming an elite athlete. London: Routledge.

  • Aggerholm, K., & Breivik, G. (2020). Being, having and belonging: Values and ways of engaging in sport. Sport in Society. Advance online publication. doi:10.1080/17430437.2020.1734562

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Aggerholm, K., Standal, O., Barker, D.M., & Larsson, H. (2018). On practising in physical education: Outline for a pedagogical model. Physical Education and Sport Pedagogy, 23(2), 197–208. doi:10.1080/17408989.2017.1372408

    • Crossref
    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Allan, B.A., Duffy, R.D., & Collisson, B. (2018). Helping others increases meaningful work: Evidence from three experiments. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 65(2), 155–165. doi:10.1037/cou0000228

    • Crossref
    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Alvesson, M. (2002). Understanding organizational culture. London, UK: Sage.

  • Atchley, R.C. (1997). Everyday mysticism: Spiritual development in later adulthood. Journal of Adult Development, 4(2), 123–134.

  • Bailey, C., & Madden, A. (2017). Time reclaimed: Temporality and the experience of meaningful work. Work, Employment and Society, 31(1), 3–18. doi:10.1177/0950017015604100

    • Crossref
    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Bailey, C., Lips‐Wiersma, M., Madden, A., Yeoman, R., Thompson, M., & Chalofsky, N. (2019). The five paradoxes of meaningful work: Introduction to the special issue ‘meaningful work: Prospects for the 21st century'. Journal of Management Studies, 56(3), 481–499.

    • Crossref
    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Bailey, C., Yeoman, R., Madden, A., Thompson, M., & Kerridge, G. (2019). A review of the empirical literature on meaningful work: Progress and research agenda. Human Resource Development Review, 18(1), 83–113. doi:10.1177/1534484318804653

    • Crossref
    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Balague, G. (1999). Understanding identity, value, and meaning when working with elite athletes. The Sport Psychologist, 13(1), 89–98. doi:10.1123/tsp.13.1.89

    • Crossref
    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Baumeister, R.F., Vohs, K.D., Aaker, J.L., & Garbinsky, E.N. (2013). Some key differences between a happy life and a meaningful life. The Journal of Positive Psychology, 8(6), 505–516. doi:10.1080/17439760.2013.830764

    • Crossref
    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Beni, S., Fletcher, T., & Ní Chróinín, D. (2017). Meaningful experiences in physical education and youth sport: A review of the literature. Quest, 69(3), 291–312. doi:10.1080/00336297.2016.1224192

    • Crossref
    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Berg, J.M., Grant, A.M., & Johnson, V. (2010). When callings are calling: Crafting work and leisure in pursuit of unanswered occupational callings. Organization Science, 21(5), 973–994. doi:10.1287/orsc.1090.0497

    • Crossref
    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Berger, R. (2003). An ethic of excellence: Building a culture of craftsmanship with students. Portsmouth: Heinemann.

  • Brody, M.K. (1979). Institutionalized sport as quasi-religion: Preliminary considerations. Journal of Sport and Social Issues, 3(2), 17–27. doi:10.1177/019372357900300203

    • Crossref
    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Brown, C.A., McGuire, F.A., & Voelkl, J. (2008). The link between successful aging and serious leisure. The International Journal of Aging and Human Development, 66(1), 73–95. doi:10.2190/AG.66.1.d

    • Crossref
    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Bunderson, J.S., & Thompson, J.A. (2009). The call of the wild: Zookeepers, callings, and the double-edged sword of deeply meaningful work. Administrative Science Quarterly, 54(1), 32–57. doi:10.2189/asqu.2009.54.1.32

    • Crossref
    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Clark, D. (2019). Share of people who identity as Christian in the United Kingdom from 1983 to 2018. Retrieved from https://www.statista.com/statistics/1075336/christian-identity-in-the-uk/

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Crossley, N. (2006). In the gym: Motives, meaning and moral careers. Body & Society, 12(3), 23–50. doi:10.1177/1357034X06067154

  • Dempsey, S.E., & Sanders, M.L. (2010). Meaningful work? Nonprofit marketization and work/life imbalance in popular autobiographies of social entrepreneurship. Organization, 17(4), 437–459. doi:10.1177/1350508410364198

    • Crossref
    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Dik, B.J., Duffy, R.D., & Eldridge, B.M. (2009). Calling and vocation in career counseling: Recommendations for promoting meaningful work. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 40(6), 625–632. doi:10.1037/a0015547

    • Crossref
    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Douglas, K., & Carless, D. (2009). Abandoning the performance narrative: Two women’s stories of transition from professional sport. Journal of Applied Sport Psychology, 21(2), 213–230. doi:10.1080/10413200902795109

    • Crossref
    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Durkheim, É. (1951). Suicide (J.A. Spaulding & G. Simpson, Trans.). New York, NY: Free Press.

  • Field, A. (2013). Discovering statistics using IBM SPSS statistics (4th ed.). London, UK: Sage Publications.

  • Frankl, V.E. (1959). Man’s search for meaning: An introduction to logotherapy. Boston, MA: Beacon Press.

  • Frankl, V.E. (2010). The feeling of meaninglessness: A challenge to psychotherapy and philosophy. Milwaukee, WI: Marquette University Press.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Grant, D., O’Neil, K., & Stephens, L. (2004). Spirituality in the workplace: New empirical directions in the study of the sacred. Sociology of Religion, 65(3), 265–283. doi:10.2307/3712252

    • Crossref
    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Grindstaff, J.S., Wrisberg, C.A., & Ross, J.R. (2010). Collegiate athletes’ experience of the meaning of sport injury: A phenomenological investigation. Perspectives in Public Health, 130(3), 127–135. doi:10.1177/1757913909360459

    • Crossref
    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Hagan, J.E., Schack, T., & Schinke, R. (2019). Sport psychology practice in Africa: Do culture-specific religion and spirituality matter? Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal, 6(3), 183–197. doi:10.14738/assrj.63.6209

    • Crossref
    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Halldorsson, V., Thorlindsson, T., & Katovich, M.A. (2014). The role of informal sport: The local context and the development of elite athletes. Studies in Symbolic Interaction, 42, 133–160.

    • Crossref
    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Højbjerre Larsen, S. (2016). What can the parkour craftsmen tell us about bodily expertise and skilled movement? Sport, Ethics and Philosophy, 10(3), 295–309. doi:10.1080/17511321.2016.1217919

    • Crossref
    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Hutch, R. (2012). Sport and spirituality: Mastery and failure in sporting lives. Practical Theology, 5(2), 131–152. doi:10.1558/prth.v5i2.131

  • Kim, J., Heo, J., Lee, I.H., & Kim, J. (2015). Predicting personal growth and happiness by using serious leisure model. Social Indicators Research, 122(1), 147–157. doi:10.1007/s11205-014-0680-0

    • Crossref
    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Kono, S., Ito, E., & Gui, J. (2020). Empirical investigation of the relationship between serious leisure and meaning in life among Japanese and Euro-Canadians. Leisure Studies, 39(1), 131–145. doi:10.1080/02614367.2018.1555674

    • Crossref
    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Kretchmar, R.S. (2000). Movement subcultures: Sites for meaning. Journal of Physical Education, Recreation & Dance, 71(5), 19–25. doi:10.1080/07303084.2000.10605140

    • Crossref
    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Lair, D.J., Shenoy, S., McClellan, J.G., & McGuire, T. (2008). The politics of meaning/ful work: Navigating the tensions of narcissism and condescension while finding meaning in work. Management Communication Quarterly, 22(1), 172–180. doi:10.1177/0893318908318263

    • Crossref
    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Lips-Wiersma, M., & Morris, L. (2009). Discriminating between ‘meaningful work’ and the ‘management of meaning’. Journal of Business Ethics, 88(3), 491–511. doi:10.1007/s10551-009-0118-9

    • Crossref
    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Loland, S. (2006). Morality, medicine, and meaning: Toward an integrated justification of physical education. Quest, 58(1), 60–70. doi:10.1080/00336297.2006.10491872

    • Crossref
    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Mandelbaum, M. (2004). The meaning of sport. Why Americans watch baseball, football, and basketball and what they see when they do. New York: PublicAffairs.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Martela, F., & Pessi, A.B. (2018). Significant work is about self-realization and broader purpose: Defining the key dimensions of meaningful work. Frontiers in Psychology, 9, 363. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2018.00363

    • Crossref
    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Marx, K. (1977). Economic and philosophic manuscripts of 1844. London: Lawrence and Wishart.

  • McCaughtry, N., & Rovegno, I. (2001). Meaning and movement: Exploring the deep connections to education. Studies in Philosophy and Education, 20(6), 489–505. doi:10.1023/A:1012278316019

    • Crossref
    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Mills, C.W. (2002/1951). White collar: The American middle classes. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

  • Mosley, M.J., Frierson, D.J., Cheng, Y., & Aoyagi, M.W. (2015). Spirituality & sport: Consulting the Christian athlete. The Sport Psychologist, 29(4), 371–386. doi:10.1123/tsp.2013-0123

    • Crossref
    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Novak, M. (1994). The joy of sports: Endzones, bases, baskets, balls, and the consecration of the American spirit. Lanham, MD: Madison Books.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • O’Connor, J. (2019). Exploring a pedagogy for meaning-making in physical education. European Physical Education Review, 25(4), 1093–1109. doi:10.1177/1356336X18802286

    • Crossref
    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Pomerleau, J.M., Pargament, K.I., & Mahoney, A. (2016). Seeing life through a sacred lens: The spiritual dimension of meaning. In P. Russo-Netzer, S.E. Schulenberg, & A. Batthyany (Eds.), Clinical perspectives on meaning: Positive and existential psychotherapy (pp. 37–57). Cham,Switzerland: Springer.

    • Crossref
    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Pratt, M., Pradies, C., & Lepisto, D. (2013). Doing well, doing good, and doing with: Organizational practices for effectively cultivating meaningful work. In B. Dik, Z. Byrne, & M. Steger (Eds.), Purpose and meaning in the workplace (pp. 173–196). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.

    • Crossref
    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Pratt, M.G., & Ashforth, B.E. (2003). Fostering meaningfulness in working and at work. In K. Cameron, J.E. Dutton, & R.E. Quinn (Eds.), Positive organizational scholarship (pp. 309–327). San Francisco: Berrett-Koehler.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Roderick, M. (2014). From identification to dis-identification: Case studies of job loss in professional football. Qualitative Research in Sport, Exercise and Health, 6(2), 143–160. doi:10.1080/2159676X.2013.796491

    • Crossref
    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Ronkainen, N.J., & Nesti, M.S. (2018). Meaning and spirituality in sport and exercise: Psychological perspectives. London: Routledge.

  • Ronkainen, N.J., Ryba, T.V., & Tod, D. (2020). ‘Don’t ever mix God with sports’: Christian religion in athletes’ stories of life transitions. Sport in Society, 23,(4) 613–628. doi:10.1080/17430437.2019.1599199

    • Crossref
    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Ronkainen, N.J., Ryba, T.V., Tonge, C., & Tikkanen, O.M. (2019). Coaches’ reflections on the meaning and value of Masters athletics. Journal of Aging Studies, 49, 31–38. doi:10.1016/j.jaging.2019.03.004

    • Crossref
    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Ronkainen, N.J., Tikkanen, O., Littlewood, M., & Nesti, M.S. (2015). An existential perspective on meaning, spirituality and authenticity in athletic careers. Qualitative Research in Sport, Exercise and Health, 7(2), 253–270. doi:10.1080/2159676X.2014.926970

    • Crossref
    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Rosso, B.D., Dekas, K.H., & Wrzesniewski, A. (2010). On the meaning of work: A theoretical integration and review. Research in Organizational Behavior, 30, 91–127. doi:10.1016/j.riob.2010.09.001

    • Crossref
    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Saroglou, V. (2011). Believing, bonding, behaving, and belonging: The big four religious dimensions and cultural variation. Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 42(8), 1320–1340. doi:10.1177/0022022111412267

    • Crossref
    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Seippel, Ø. (2006). The meanings of sport: Fun, health, beauty or community? Sport in Society, 9(1), 51–70. doi:10.1080/17430430500355790

  • Sennett, R. (2008). The craftsman. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press.

  • Smith, N. (2007). The hermeneutics of work: On Richard Sennett. Critical Horizons, 8(2), 186–204. doi:10.1558/crit.v8i2.186

  • Stebbins, R.A (2001). Serious leisure. Society, 38(4), 53–57.

  • Steger, M.F. (2019). Meaning in life and in work. In R. Yeoman, C. Bailey, A. Madden, & M. Thompson (Eds.), The Oxford handbook of meaningful work (pp. 208–222). Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Steger, M.F., & Dik, B.J. (2010). Work as meaning: Individual and organizational benefits of engaging in meaningful work. In P.A. Linley, S. Harrington, & N. Page (Eds.), Oxford handbook of positive psychology and work (pp. 131–142). Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Steger, M.F., Dik, B.J., & Duffy, R.D. (2012). Measuring meaningful work: The work and meaning inventory (WAMI). Journal of Career Assessment, 20(3), 322–337. doi:10.1177/1069072711436160

    • Crossref
    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Stolz, S.A. (2014). The philosophy of physical education: A new perspective. London: Routledge.

  • Sullivan, S.C. (2006). The work-faith connection for low-income mothers: A research note. Sociology of Religion, 67(1), 99–108. doi:10.1093/socrel/67.1.99

    • Crossref
    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Super, D.E. (1976). Career education and the meanings of work. Washington, DC: US Department Of Health, Education, and Welfare, Office Of Education.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Taylor, R., & Roth, S. (2019). Exploring meaningful work in the third sector. In R. Yeoman, C. Bailey, A. Madden, & M. Thompson (Eds.), The Oxford handbook of meaningful work, (pp. 257–273). Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Thorlindsson, T., Halldorsson, V., & Sigfusdottir, I.D. (2018). The sociological theory of craftsmanship: An empirical test in sport and education. Sociological Research Online, 23(1), 114–135. doi:10.1177/1360780418754564

    • Crossref
    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Trothen, T.J. (2018). Spirituality, sport, and doping: More than just a game. Cham: Springer.

  • Twietmeyer, G. (2018). Hope & kinesiology: The hopelessness of health-centered kinesiology. Sport, Ethics and Philosophy, 12(1), 4–19. doi:10.1080/17511321.2017.1291712

    • Crossref
    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Voas, D., & Crockett, A. (2005). Religion in Britain: Neither believing nor belonging. Sociology, 39(1), 11–28. doi:10.1177/0038038505048998

  • Walseth, K., Engebretsen, B., & Elvebakk, L. (2018). Meaningful experiences in PE for all students: An activist research approach. Physical Education and Sport Pedagogy, 23(3), 235–249. doi:10.1080/17408989.2018.1429590

    • Crossref
    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Watson, N.J., Weir, S., & Friend, S. (2005). The development of muscular Christianity in Victorian Britain and beyond. Journal of Religion and Society, 7. Retrieved from https://dspace2.creighton.edu/xmlui/bitstream/handle/10504/64420/2005-2.pdf?sequence=1

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Yeoman, R. (2014). Conceptualising meaningful work as a fundamental human need. Journal of Business Ethics, 125(2), 235–251. doi:10.1007/s10551-013-1894-9

    • Crossref
    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Yeoman, R., Bailey, C., Madden, A., & Thompson, M. (Eds.). (2019). The Oxford handbook of meaningful work. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press.

    • Crossref
    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Zorn, T.E. (2017). Meaningful work. In C.R. Scott & L. Lewis (Eds.), The international encyclopedia of organizational communication. Chichester, UK: Wiley.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation
All Time Past Year Past 30 Days
Abstract Views 3836 2977 195
Full Text Views 546 387 31
PDF Downloads 107 58 3