Fitness and the Postmodern Self

TLDR

Contemporary fitness practices are framed as postmodern, sharing aesthetic and ideological commitments that position fitness as a means to mitigate perceived risks to selfhood in modern society. The essay examines fitness through the lens of Mead's theory of the self. Manufacturers of exercise equipment and videos employ pastiche and simulation, revealing aesthetic parallels with postmodern culture. Implications for G.H.

Abstract

This essay suggests that contemporary fitness practices share aesthetic and ideological commitments with other activities that have been classified as postmodern. The aesthetic similarities are evident in the use of pastiche and simulation by manufacturers of exercise machines and videotapes. In terms of ideology, the pursuit of fitness is promoted as an opportunity for individuals to avert several of the risks to selfhood thought to be present in modern social organization. Implications for G.H. Mead's theory of the self are discussed.