Who Walks, Who Runs, Who Cares? Participation in Fitness Fundraisers and its Correlates

• In Event: 261 - Section on Political Sociology Refereed Roundtable Session and Business Meeting
  In Refereed Roundtable 60min: Table 09. Political Dynamics of Individual Actions

Abstract

It appears that fitness fundraisers have increased in both number and popularity in the U.S. in recent decades, but no systematic analysis of who participates has been undertaken. Moreover, the sociological significance of the popularity of fitness fundraisers is unclear. This paper presents a secondary analysis of the only existing nationally representative dataset on participation in fitness fundraisers. Results show that both critics and apologists for fitness fundraisers are partially correct in their assessment of this form of civic engagement: whites, young people, and people of high SES are more likely to have participated in this type of civic engagement, but it is also associated with greater feelings of efficacy, civic duty, formal volunteering, and informal helping behaviors. Although there are strong reasons for social scientists to ignore such a mundane civic activity, I argue that the full sociological significance of fitness fundraisers remains to be seen.

Author

• Peter Hart-Brinson, University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire