| dc.description.abstract | The occupations which we engage in have been consistently shown to influence and shape
every facet of who we are, a concept referred to as occupational identity. Prominent
conceptualisations of occupational identity display three distinct themes; assumptions
towards freedom of occupational choice, an individualistic outlook within identity and
consideration of productivity pertaining to work. Criticisms towards these
conceptualisations call for consideration of collective identities and barriers to freedom of
choice. Leisure based occupations are proposed to influence occupational identity
particularly significantly. Consequently, sporting fandom was considered due to the
inherently collective identity and potential to investigate barriers to occupational choice.
Furthermore, despite the significant impact of sporting fandom upon identity and the
considerable collective population of sports fans within the United Kingdom, sporting
fandom remains poorly considered within occupational science and occupational identity
literature. Consequently, a scoping review was conducted to facilitate consideration of the
impact of sporting fandom upon identity, before contrasting these findings with
underpinning occupational identity theory. 3 primary themes outlining the impact of
sporting fandom upon identity emerged from the selected literature, pertaining to the
emotional domain whereby the collective is formed, the cognitive domain which reflects
productivity and the symbolic domain, influencing social values. Contrast of emergent
themes within the scoping review with underpinning occupational identity theory
demonstrated prominent correlations between collective identity and productivity.
Collective identity generated within fandom was established to elicit a sense of belonging, in
turn forming life meaning, reinforcing the need to develop understanding of this concept
and replicate this in practice. Productivity within fandom was demonstrated through
competence and social roles, reflecting a need to reconsider occupational categories due to
the intertwined nature of leisure and productivity. Additionally, the potential utilisation of
sporting fandom to consider both collective occupational identity and barriers to
occupational choice was demonstrated. | en |
