Themes
-Perfection as goal/motivator in fencing.
-Fencing/Blackstone Valley Fencing Academy as community and safe haven.
-Fencing as character building/self improving activity.
Hypotheses
-Fencing/BVFA is a subculture composed of outsiders to the mainstream because it is unique, and therefore attracts unique people.
Persistent Questions
-Why does fencing matter in today's world?
-Do the majority of people who fence do so merely for recreational purposes or do they take it seriously and see it as a significant part of their lives?
The above themes all sprung from something that either Michael or Annika said in my interviews with them. I'm especially interested in the idea of perfection in fencing. Since fencing is so unlike any other sport, I think the idea of perfection as a part of it is much different than the idea of perfection in any other sport, so it will be a unique angle to explore.
My hypothesis is something that I arrived at primarily through my own observations, and isn't anything that I recorded in my fieldnotes. Both Michael and Annika, however, gave the impression that they are, or have been, outsiders at one time or another in their lives. This, combined with conversations I've had with other people and conversations I've overheard others having, will be a good basis for exploration of my hypothesis.
The first of my questions is the one I'm more interested in, and the one I think will be the real focus of my fieldstudy. I've been thinking of fencing as a romanticized/gentleman's sport, and how the respect and dignity that is such an integral part of it translates over to retaining manners and integrity in an increasingly rude and mannerless world.
Actually writing out my ideas in an attempt to flesh them out has been rather helpful, and now I have some concrete leads as to where I'm going with my fieldstudy.
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