open access

https://doi.org/10.14943/b.edu.138.407

https://hdl.handle.net/2115/82162

Sociological study of the visually impaired sport (No.2) : social construction of the blind marathon runner’s “vision”

日本語

Temporal information

2021-06-25

Faculty of Education, Hokkaido University

Bulletin of Faculty of Education, Hokkaido University

138

407-426

　This presentation reports on the findings of a study of visually impaired athletes training for, and competing in, a blind marathon with the help of a guide runner. Specifically, the study aimed to reveal the nature of vision which the athletes constructed, and the process by which this was achieved. This research was a case study of Blind Marathon practices with a specific focus on the relationship between blind runners and their guide runner counterparts, required for blind marathon. Previous studies have concluded that when visually impaired people play sport, deep communication with their supporter is important for them to understand their surroundings. However, the research to date does not actually clarify the nature of this communication, nor how the surroundings are understood by blind participants. The current study therefore set out to reveal a deeper understanding of the blind runner/guide relationship and the kind of vision blind runners acquire through co-running. The study focused on the interaction between blind runners and their guides both while running together and in their everyday lives. The study used a fieldwork approach and data was collected using participant observation and interviews during practice sessions and competitions, and during other activities relating to the role of guide runner. 　The presenters will discuss the results of the current study relating to three areas: 1) The nature of interactions between blind runners and their guide runner counterparts; 2) The nature of the information blind runners acquire through these interactions; 3) The manifestation of vision constructed by the blind runners based on this information. The results revealed that: 1) Blind runners construct their vision for running by combining the information about the surroundings provided by their guide along with the images of the running course accumulated themselves through running practice experience thus far; 2) Blind runners aspire to construct a vision that enables them to prepare for risks during running that cannot be realized by themselves because they have difficulty seeing or cannot see; 3) By constructing this vision, blind runners are freed from preparing for unexpected dangers (passivity) and can thereby predict dangers, and in doing so run a danger-free course (activeness).

紀要論文

Version of Record

1882-1669

AA12219452