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Re-clothing the emperor: the swimming pool as a negotiated order

journal contribution
posted on 2023-06-07, 23:03 authored by Susie ScottSusie Scott
This article examines the unspoken rules, routines, and rituals of the swimming pool, using ideas from negotiated order theory, Foucault, Goffman's dramaturgical theory, and symbolic interactionism. It identifies three sets of social norms: respect for personal space, respect for individuals' disciplinary regimes, and the desexualization of encounters. I show how these rules are (normally) followed or (occasionally) breached through various rituals, and examine the consequences for interaction order. The tale of "The Emperor's New Clothes" is used analogously to explain why actors cannot consciously attend to their precarious construction of reality, yet remain poised to defend it.

History

Publication status

  • Published

Journal

Symbolic Interaction

ISSN

01956086

Publisher

Blackwell

Issue

2

Volume

32

Page range

123-145

Pages

23.0

Department affiliated with

  • Sociology and Criminology Publications

Full text available

  • No

Peer reviewed?

  • Yes

Legacy Posted Date

2012-02-06

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