A lifestyle sport: idiosyncratic and dynamic belonging

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore what an idiosyncratic and dynamic sense of belonging entails for consumption in a lifestyle sport, an ever shifting and progressing world in which individuals engage in community while also seeking to individuate their own sense of belonging.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors adopt an ethnographic approach in the context of a regional skateboarding community. Over a year at local skateparks, we interviewed 15 well-established, committed members of the community identified by others (through snowball techniques) to allow us to delve into the phenomenon. These interviews were conducted as part of the primary author's doctoral thesis (See Harris, 2011).

Findings

An idiosyncratic and dynamic sense of belonging is prevalent in the lifestyle sport community, even among well-established members. This is reflected in and motivated by a variety of consumption, as well as overconsumption practices.

Practical implications

Understanding the idiosyncratic and dynamic nature of a sense of belonging allows marketers to design offerings to effectively deal with the ambiguities of belonging but also raises the potential for the destructive use of marketing.

Originality/value

The authors demonstrate how approaching belonging through a dynamic and idiosyncratic sense of belonging provides a deeper understanding of belonging and related consumption activities in a lifestyle sport.

Citation

Harris, G. and Dacin, P.A. (2019), "A lifestyle sport: idiosyncratic and dynamic belonging", Journal of Consumer Marketing, Vol. 36 No. 2, pp. 328-336. https://doi.org/10.1108/JCM-05-2018-2685