Immortalizing the Self Through Sport

Abstract

The processes through which Americans seek to leave their mark through achievements in sport are explored. The postself is conceptualized as an idealized role-identity that links the present to the future and to the past. Various media forms indicate that athletes and their others frequently become concerned about how they will look to future audiences. The characteristics of the social world of sport that foster concerns about immortality as well as the reactions of individuals to these factors are discussed. The emergence of the postself through sport contributes to our understanding of selfhood, time, social worlds, social structure, and social process.