Week 10

I plan on structuring my mini-ethnography by topic.  I will probably start off with the information given to me by informants on the insider aspect of the subculture; the so-called unwritten rules, the rituals, and the attitudes that define the subculture, and the reasons why I chose my subculture and why I think it is important.  Next I will go on and take specific pieces of information received from my informants and elaborate on them.  For example I will have one section of my mini-ethnography dedicated to supplement use, which is common among gym attendees.  Another part of the culture that I found from my informants was the issue of body image, which I will most likely put right after the introduction and before my discussion on supplements because I believe that supplements are a response to the psychological aspect of the subculture.  After that I will move on to the two distinct ways that many weight loss or muscle gain products are portrayed:  the health professional view, and the magazine writer/advertiser view.  I will probably also include information on hormones and brain chemicals that are activated during exercise that may link it to sexual drive.  I will conclude my mini-ethnography by highlighting the benefits of being a part of this subculture, how becoming a part of the subculture has changed me, and also the ways to caution oneself from straying into the darker side of the subculture where psychological disorders come about.  I think that this setup will meld the pieces of my subculture together in a logical way rather than picking at specific pieces of it to highlight its interesting points.   

In Class: Insider lingo

Max out: lifting as much weight as you can, one time. Weight may vary depending on the type of lift.

Reps: the number of times one lifts/bench presses/curls/etc. a set of weights

MBB/FBB: male body builder/female body builder

racking up: putting the weights back in their place once a work out is finished

Press: a lift in which the individual lays on his/her back and grasps a bar with weights on each end and lifts in an up and down motion above the chest. (ex: "I pressed 250" means one did this exercise with 250 lbs. on the bar)

6-word stories

Weightlifter wants more "big" in body
informants talk, interviewer becomes more uncomfortable
bigorexia equals bigger, better man boobs

Week 9

The hardest part of my research has been covering all areas of my subculture.  I have found many sources that take on a negative tone such as the articles on “bigorexia” and even some on narcissism in weightlifters.  However, I have not had as much success in finding sources that bring out the positive side of the gym atmosphere besides the interviews that I have done.  The easiest part of the research process was knowing where I wanted to go with the mini-ethnography and being able to find a lot of sources that went in that direction.  If I could start all over again, I think I would choose a different subculture altogether.  Since the start of this project I have discovered other subcultures that are very interesting and not well known, such as bug chasing for example, and it would have been more fun for me to research something I literally knew nothing about.  Whereas with the gym subculture was one that I was somewhat familiar with, but not completely immersed in.  Keeping the blogs at first seemed like a purposeless hassle, but after seeing the bigger picture of where the project is going, I am seeing how they will be helpful especially for the research proposal and literature review paper.  The blogs have helped me organize my thoughts in a way that I can use in my mini-ethnography.  

Why will my readers care?
-My subculture hits on a hot topic of this generation: the body and body image. Weight loss is a huge topic in the news, on TV shows, and it is even prevalent in some movies.

What do my readers want or need to know about this issue?
-My readers need to know how to accomplish their fitness goals in a healthy way, not by taking supplements that promise quick weight loss. Losing more than a few pounds a week is unhealthy.

What do my readers already know about this issue?
-My readers probably already have heard about many supplements that are available for muscle gain and weight loss.

What do I want my readers to learn about this issue?
-I want to inform my readers about the risks of some diets and pills that are hitting the market today, and how they can affect my reader both physically and psychologically.

How easily will my readers be persuaded?
-I believe that because of the lack of information on the risks of dieting and supplements, my readers do not know that they are harming their body more than they are helping it.
Although, some may not care because they want a quick fix to their body image issues. So persuasion may be difficult.

What will my readers use my writing for?
-I hope that my readers will use my writing to make healthy choices about their lifestyle.

Research Questions:
What are the risks of being involved in the gym subculture?
What do supplements do to the body?
Why is exercise addicting to some?
Why is supplementation so popular?
When does supplementation become dangerous?
When do people start using weightlifting unhealthily?
Who is most susceptible to weightlifting disorders?
Who tends to take a healthier approach to fitness?
How do outsiders view weightlifters/weightlifting?
How has this subculture affected me?

When does exercise become unhealthy and who is most susceptible to unhealthy exercise habits?
Why is weightlifting appealing to outsiders versus insiders, and how have I been affected by studying this subculture?

Week 8

The main theme that I have seen through my research is that working out and being part of a gym is more about body image than having a healthy lifestyle.  I have found hundreds of sites and magazine ads that advertise numerous supplements that promise a muscular body or instant weight loss.  Also, from conversations and interviews with people in my site, that seems to be the case.  I have chatted with men in weightlifting chat rooms and none of them have any reservations about telling me what they think of themselves, which is typically that they are good looking and strong, but would like to be even bigger.  Only the women that I have talked to express that their workouts are for either sheer enjoyment or healthy weight loss.  After eight weeks of this project I feel much more like an insider to this subculture.  After about six weeks, I decided to begin my own workouts to see if I experience any of the things that my informants tell me about.  Now, I understand the feeling of accomplishment after a workout that some have expressed feeling, but after I started these workouts, I began to notice more things about my body that I was unsatisfied with, so I can also identify with that aspect.  So, I can definitely say that my position has changed from the start of this project to this point.  I went into my research very curious about many things, and now that I am experiencing them for myself, I’m beginning to have a better understanding of my subculture.  

box #23

My story begins on a nice, sunny summer day in the small town of Greenville, Ohio. I was playing in the backyard of our house with my two brothers and little sister. We played all day outside as we usually did, and came in for our snack mid-day. After we had eaten our snack, my mother looked around and noticed that my little sister of two years was not present. We all went back outside looking for her, yelling, "Caaamiiiii where aaaare yoooouu?" She was nowhere to be found. It was then that my mother noticed that the gate that opens up to the front yard had not been closed and she had asked me and my older brother to remember to do before we came into the house. As anyone could imagine, my mother was livid. I can't remember a time in my life past that day when I was yelled at so much and so loudly. I was terrified. I thought my baby sister was gone for good. Just as my mom finished screaming at Ryan and I, there was a knock at the door. A neighbor carrying little Cami. This lady had gone to every house on the street, leaving ours for last because she was sure that the Finches would not have a blonde toddler - the rest of us were very dark haired. That was also the day that I witnessed my mom crying in joy as she never has since.

This story is most often told as a lesson of irresponsibility, or as a way to make fun of my baby sister for being the "oops" child. We joke that we tried to get rid of her that day. My mother does not look back fondly on that day because she surely felt like a horrible mother, losing her child to the street. This story is a reflection on my family's values in that responsibility has always been instilled into each of us four kids as we grew up. We were given more responsibility the older we got, and were rewarded for being able to handle the responsibility well. This story has is changed every time it is told. My mother usually claims that she did not, in fact, yell and us older kids, and when Ryan and I tell the story, we probably exaggerate the yelling and frantic actions of my mother.

Week 7

I believe that I can contribute a great deal of information that most gym members do not know.  So many people make friends where they work out, and get advice from those friends on supplements, workout routines, etc., and do not consult a doctor or do any research to make sure their choices are healthy for them.  The information I have learned and will learn will also contribute to my education as a nursing student.  Nurses must deal with psychological issues in their patients and well as physical issues such as drug abuse or injury.  The information I have found so far has been very interesting and also keeps me on top of the most current trends in supplements, drugs, and disorders, which is important information for any nurse to know.  As for the class, I hope to inform them about the gym environment in general, and also give them helpful tips on choosing a healthy workout routine if they so choose to use the gym.  I would also like to dispel any stereotypes of weightlifters that the class may have.  Some see them as insensitive “jocks,” others see them as health freaks, and still others may idolize them and wish to look like them.  By giving a thorough picture of what happens in the gym, I hope it will be a learning experience for everyone in the class as much as it has been for me.  

In-Class Interview

My informant headed down to Maryland in the summer of 2008 for a ten-week missions trip sponsored by Ball State University's Campus Crusade for Christ. While she was there she ministered to people working on the boardwalk and helped community members where she was staying. Before leaving, she, and other group members, picked up a small, colorful bracelet to wear in remembrance of that summer. She wears this bracelet everyday to remember the people of Maryland, and also the friends she made while she was there.

This interview was more difficult than the other interviews I have conducted so far. I had many more questions for the informants of my subculture than I did for this interview. The most difficult part was getting the story. I had to coax it out of her because she seemed a little shy talking about her life at first. But, gradually I worked in my own experience with missions trips and we began a more conversation-like interview. Some of my observations and assumptions were correct in that the bracelet was a symbol of friendship that she bought in a store in a touristy type shop in Ocean City. I was also correct in thinking that there was a deeper story behind the purchase of the bracelet.

Groundwork 10/2

My first thought upon entering the gym was, wow, it’s been awhile. I hadn’t set foot inside a gym in years and being there amidst these muscular men was a bit intimidating. Every one of the men in there were ripped, a term that apparently means, very muscular and defined. My questions still focus on trying to figure out if there is a deeper reason why these men are here so often. Do they want to look better? Do they want to be healthier? Or, is this an unhealthy obsession.

The setup is that there are two different rooms. The larger room that is in plain view from the outside of the gym is where the weight machines are…the heavy lifting. The smaller room to the left has treadmills, an exercise ball, and some ellipticals; the type of things you would expect a woman to use, yet they seemed untouched. The atmosphere feels much more like a man’s world. Mirrors are on every wall in the large room, except the side that faces the street outside, in which case a large window replaces the mirrors. Driving by, one can see into the gym very easily.

I am definitely an outsider at this gym. I know nothing about how to operate the weight machines. I don’t look like I belong. My 5’8” 110 pound frame simply looks out of place. Words are thrown around that made no sense to me until I got up the nerve to talk to some of the men there. Also, I’m certain that I appeared nervous and out of place to those observing me.