The spectacle of pain in the experience: A study in rugby stadiums

Abstract

This research focuses on understanding how the spectacle of pain contributes to the spectators’ experience. Based on an abductive approach and a 3-year mixed and longitudinal data collection in stadiums, this work identifies four functions of the pain spectacle and details its modalities and progressiveness. This research on rugby matches contributes to the literature on experience and pain. First, it deepens the understanding of the ambivalence of experiences. It shows that the negative dimensions of experience are valued by a moral and normative system. Second, this research contributes to a deeper understanding of the attractiveness of pain, by showing its association with symbolic content. Third, it introduces the concept of domesticating violence in the face of pain. The spectacle of a rugby match is part of nature/culture dialectic, with, on the one hand, a pseudo-primitive violence and, on the other hand, a sophisticated set of codes and rules. Recommendations for administrators and opportunities for future research are also presented.