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Spatial Resistance of Alternative Sports in Finland

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Play and Recreation, Health and Wellbeing

Part of the book series: Geographies of Children and Young People ((GCYP,volume 9))

Abstract

Alternative sports practiced by urban youth offer an interesting opportunity to analyze negotiations regarding common spaces. In this chapter, such negotiations are approached from the conceptual angle of generation, which takes into account the Mannheimian generation of “fresh contact” campaigns against adult-like, normative, and formally functional meanings in the use of urban space and its platforms. The study contributes to the public discussion in which young people are considered physically passive or lazy. Much vital exercise takes place outside traditional sports venues on streets, in parking lots, and in city gardens.

The chapter is based on previous publications and data from a 3-year research project that focuses on young Finnish practitioners of alternative sports. The research material consists of qualitative data gathered in an online survey, ethnographic observations, and ethnographic interviews conducted in Finland from 2012 to 2014.

The interpretations, definitions, and implementations of the spatial resistance of alternative sports are manifold. Young alternative sport practitioners collectively take over public spaces through attempts at negotiation and momentary testing. However, they do not usually recognize their acts of spatial takeover as resistance. Thus, the spatial resistance of alternative sports is largely silent and connected to the hierarchies of youth and adulthood.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Yliopistonkatu 7, P.O.Box 111, 80110, Joensuu, Finland

    A. Rannikko & P. Harinen

  2. Juvenia Youth Research and Development Centre, Mikkeli University of Applied Sciences, Patteristonkatu 3, P.O. Box 181, FI-50101, Mikkeli, Finland

    V. Liikanen

Authors
  1. A. Rannikko
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  2. V. Liikanen
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  3. P. Harinen
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Correspondence to P. Harinen .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Geography and Planning, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom

    Bethan Evans

  2. Centre of Children and Youth, The University of Northampton, Northampton, United Kingdom

    John Horton

  3. Department of Geography, National University of Singapore Department of Geography, Singapore, Singapore

    Tracey Skelton

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Rannikko, A., Liikanen, V., Harinen, P. (2016). Spatial Resistance of Alternative Sports in Finland. In: Evans, B., Horton, J., Skelton, T. (eds) Play and Recreation, Health and Wellbeing. Geographies of Children and Young People, vol 9. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-4585-51-4_38

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