Pumping Iron Reflection Paper
Studying Pumping Iron, a film about body building, in the context of anthropologists Mauss and Bourdieu, depicts body building as less of a competition and more of a bridge to finding the male identity in a demasculinating world.
Arnold Schwarzenegger, a central focus of the film, went from being a body builder to an actor, and then a successful politician. However, according to Bourdieu, that trajectory from physical power to abstract political power is possible because training is a means to an end, not the end. Bourdieu writes, "Training, like the assembly of a machine, is the search for, the acquisition of an efficiency" (58). Efficiency is a problematic term because the definition can vary per person. For Schwarzenegger, efficiency meant getting to the top of the social pyramid, being strong enough to not be held down by social boundaries, such as economic status. For Schwarzenegger, he used body building as a means to achieve recognition and power, which allowed for his political aspirations to grown.
One aspect of the film not highlighted which interest many anthropologists was the system that allowed for the art of body building to prosper. The film takes place during the 1970s, a period of global turmoil and economic recessions. This financial insecurity was detrimental to the self-esteem of men, who were responsible for providing for the household. In face of this weakness, the men turned from something they could not control (the global economy) to something they could control (their body). Mauss writes, "We must become aware of ourselves, in order to perfect our thought and to express it better" (23). Building the body became a way to strengthen the spirit of the men and express their desire to be strong and triumphant. With the building of the body came the growth of confidence, which is most asserted during the international competitions. The Mr. Universe contest, which Schwarzenegger won for several years in a row, took place in South Africa.
Arnold Schwarzenegger, a central focus of the film, went from being a body builder to an actor, and then a successful politician. However, according to Bourdieu, that trajectory from physical power to abstract political power is possible because training is a means to an end, not the end. Bourdieu writes, "Training, like the assembly of a machine, is the search for, the acquisition of an efficiency" (58). Efficiency is a problematic term because the definition can vary per person. For Schwarzenegger, efficiency meant getting to the top of the social pyramid, being strong enough to not be held down by social boundaries, such as economic status. For Schwarzenegger, he used body building as a means to achieve recognition and power, which allowed for his political aspirations to grown.
One aspect of the film not highlighted which interest many anthropologists was the system that allowed for the art of body building to prosper. The film takes place during the 1970s, a period of global turmoil and economic recessions. This financial insecurity was detrimental to the self-esteem of men, who were responsible for providing for the household. In face of this weakness, the men turned from something they could not control (the global economy) to something they could control (their body). Mauss writes, "We must become aware of ourselves, in order to perfect our thought and to express it better" (23). Building the body became a way to strengthen the spirit of the men and express their desire to be strong and triumphant. With the building of the body came the growth of confidence, which is most asserted during the international competitions. The Mr. Universe contest, which Schwarzenegger won for several years in a row, took place in South Africa.