Ian Thorpe’s Self And Society: A Sociological Analysis

A Sociological View on Ian Thorpe’s experiences

Had the expression of the true self not been constrained by societal factors, matters would have been much less complicated for some persons. However things have not always been as conducive as it is today for persons who do not merge with the social conventions of normalcy and acceptability. The life of swimmer Ian Thorpe exemplifies that, which shall be taken up for discussion in this particular essay based on his conversation with Michael Parkinson, against the theoretical frameworks provided three sociologists.

With regard to analyzing the conversation between Michael Parkinson and Ian Thorpe against the backdrop of the intellectual legacy of Emile Durkheim three theoretical considerations of his can be mentioned- Social Facts, Anomie, Suicide and his conception of the Individual and the Self. Durkheim, in his theorization has maintained a standpoint which aligns with the classic Aristotelian quotation that man is a social animal. A similar flavour can also be found in Durkheim’s flow of logic, whereby he has considered man to be an individual whose existence cannot be divorced from the collectivity, or the society in which he grows up, functions and leads his life (Dew 2015). Each and every action of the individual must be having a conformity to the set of rules and the set code of conduct which has been agreed upon by the majority of the members of the society as just and acceptable (Besnard 2003). Any deviance from those set of rules and regulations is considered as the creation of a situation of normlessness or anomie. Social facts are thus comprising of those set of rules and codes of conduct which are supposed to govern the behaviour and value perceptions of an individual in all ways (Easthope 2017). Durkheim had drawn a connection between the actions of an individual and to the commitment of suicide to explain how social facts can condition human actions in a society. Suicide in his conception is an act that is perpetrated on the self by the individual for the sake of embracing death, which is contingent upon the degree of stringency and leniency prevailing in a society and having its effect on the lives of the individuals of the society (Marks 1974). He had talked of four kinds of suicides, but in this regard, only the conception of fatalistic suicide can be considered as applicable. Fatalistic suicide is attempted by an individual when the grip of the societal norms and regulations, that is the social facts are excessive, leading an individual to find suicide as the only option to free himself from the shackles of the society (Thorlindsson and Bernburg 2004). Having talked of the theoretical propositions of Durkheim, the discussion shall now be analyzing its connection with the life of Ian Thorpe. As conveyed by his confession, he had spent a major portion of his life, from a very young age, in the clutches of depression and failing mental health. He had taken recourse to the consumption of anti-depressant drugs for seeking composure and feeling the essence of mental peace. When nothing worked he, had tried attempting suicide to get rid of his life full of worries and apprehensions which prevented him from functioning the normal way. Herein lies the significance of the theorization of Social Facts and the Relationship between the Individual and the Self. Thorpe is a homosexual man, naturally his inclinations would drive him to indulge romantically and physically with another man. Unfortunately the surroundings never permitted him that liberty as it was homophobic to the core. He had to suppress his feelings to align his actions with that of the prevalent fashion, strictly heteronormative. He had even indulged in sexual liaisons with women, just to enshroud his sexuality being grabbed by the fear of judgement. His frustration with life, and its negative effect on his professional life was solely based upon the fact that he lived in a state of constant fear and consciousness that he must mend his ways. When the level of tolerance had exceeded the permissible limit, he had given in to suicide attempt, luckily he survived (Cloward 1959).

Durkheim’s Theoretical Framework: Social Facts, Anomie, Suicide, and the Relationship between the Individual and the Self

Though Ian Thorpe is a celebrated personality and an excellent sportsman, he had not been spared his due share of judgement and assault from the societal forces which look down upon homosexual men as some form of degenerate, pollutant and inferior creature who deserve the slurs and ill treatment hurled upon them. The heteronormative society, which is considered as normal by and large across the globe, considers heterosexual man with machismo as the ideal man, consequently, homosexual men by virtue of not having the capacity to fulfill those criteria are considered not man enough (Chodorow 1995). Unfortunately, any individual who is not man enough is likely to face a lot of adversities. In this regard the view point of a feminist thinker, Nancy Chodorow must be invoked. Chodorow had criticized severely the toxic nature of masculinity which degrades anything that is associated with femininity. Masculinity accounts for the capability to dominate, even in the act of sexual intercourse (Chodorow 1959). The homosexual men are in common parlance associated with the role of playing the submissive counterparts in the whole act of intercourse, in simpler terms the one who assumes the role of being the one to be penetrated, rather than being the one to penetrate. On the other hand, even the homosexual men who indulge in the act of being the one to penetrate another man in the sexual intercourse is considered as equally inferior, and very unbecoming of a man, since that goes against the fundamentals of being an ideal man. A man is not a man enough until and unless he can gain dominance over a woman, someone whom the society considers as inferior and weaker compared to a man. This bigotry and prejudice against the homosexual men of the society is in the views of Chodorow a result of constant acculturation and socialization which have been carried forward from one generation to the other successively, just for the sake of maintaining the status quo of the predominance of masculinity. She also points out that the predominance of this heteronormativity in society and the entailing enforcement of a code of morality is a serious impediment to the exercise of personal reason (Chodorow 1979). That is very evident in the actions of Ian Thorpe whereby he had to suppress his urges in order to merge with the society. Though the way he acted before being open about his sexuality is a matter of his conscious decision, but that cannot be termed as him exercising his reason, he was rather acting the way society wanted of him to act.

The very fact that Thorpe has been able to come out to the society and reveal about his romantic inclinations as a homosexual man, shows the fact that the society has indeed evolved and the previously held value perceptions have been diluted to a great extent, if not in totality. Had the societal conditions not been conducive enough, it would not have been possible for Ian Thorpe to disclose about his true self. This hints at the fact that the notion of morality and intimacy between two persons are undergoing transformation as per the views of sociologist Anthony Giddens (Giddens 2013). He had talked of the changes that have gradually emerged in the sphere of intimacy, the idea of love, and validity of conjugal relationship between individuals, which finds a reflection in the erosion of the social conception surrounding homosexuality, interaction between the opposite sexes with an attachment of taboo and a value judgement rendering it as some form of moral perversion and degeneration (Worth, Reid and McMillan 2002). In the age of modernity, as per the views of Giddens the value perceptions which were nurtured in the previous generations were increasingly becoming redundant and that has paved the way for the creation of a new code of morality. That code of morality has provided with a different lens, perhaps broader than the previous ones to view and comprehend the significance of marital relationships, setting up a familial life, the concept of fidelity in relationships, and a totally new way of looking at all forms of romantic intimacies between individuals (Santore 2008). On being asked by Parkinson about his predispositions about having a family and a future with his intimate partner, Ian Thorpe had replied with an assertion reeking of positivity. Few generations ago, something which he desired for used to be the prerogative of the heterosexual couples, but in today’s times those are seen as a matter of entitlement to be the prerogative of all irrespective of sexuality.

Thus having reached at the concluding portion of the essay it can be said that the society does exert a considerable pressure in determining the course of action one is supposed to undertake, but at the same time any change in the societal level exerts a considerable amount of pressure on the lives of individuals. That is a matter of progression and a matter of evolution induced by human self-consciousness and the approach towards value judgement. Just as man is a social animal, change is also the only constant, that gets reiterated yet once again.

References

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Chodorow, N., 1979. Feminism and difference-gender, relation, and difference in psychoanalytic perspective. Socialist Review, (46), pp.51-69.

Chodorow, N.J., 1995. Gender as a personal and cultural construction. Signs: Journal of Women in Culture and Society, 20(3), pp.516-544.

Chodorow, N.J., 1999. The power of feelings: Personal meaning in psychoanalysis, gender, and culture. Yale University Press.

Cloward, R.A., 1959. Illegitimate means, anomie, and deviant behavior. American sociological review, pp.164-176.

Dew, K., 2015. Émile Durkheim: Social Order and Public Health. In The Palgrave Handbook of Social Theory in Health, Illness and Medicine (pp. 75-90). Palgrave Macmillan, London.

Easthope, R., 2017. On Suicide. Macat Library.

Giddens, A., 2013. The transformation of intimacy: Sexuality, love and eroticism in modern societies. John Wiley & Sons.

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Thorlindsson, T. and Bernburg, J.G., 2004. Durkheim’s theory of social order and deviance: A multi-level test. European Sociological Review, 20(4), pp.271-285.

Worth, H., Reid, A. and McMillan, K., 2002. Somewhere over the rainbow: Love, trust and monogamy in gay relationships. Journal of sociology, 38(3), pp.237-253.