What fool would argue with that? The culture of the reflexive self in the field of health, fitness, and exercise

The purpose of this study was to analyze and critique the culture of the reflexive self in the field of health, fitness, and exercise. This study was guided by three main questions. The first question focused on developing a theoretical framework, including analytical concepts, to analyze and critique the culture of the reflexive self. The second question focused on demonstrating the presence of the culture of the reflexive self in the field of health, fitness, and exercise. The third question focused on offering an ideological critique of the culture of the reflexive self in the field of health, fitness, and exercise. The primary findings are as follows.; First, it is suggested that existing literature has failed to conceptualize the culture of the reflexive self. From selected theoretical resources, a theoretical grounding for the culture of the reflexive self was developed. Three analytical concepts that are central to the culture of the reflexive self were identified: the disembedded self, the self at risk, and the reflexive self.; Second, both popular magazines---Prevention, Men's Health , and Shape---and scholarly texts were found to support the existence of the culture of the reflexive self. The magazine texts showed the clear presence of the three analytical concepts. In addition, the three concepts---entwined within the discourses of empowerment and lifestyle---were also clearly present in the scholarly texts.; Third, two ideological critiques were offered. The disembedded self is ideological because the very notion of the disembedded self is unlikely in the social world. The reflexive self is ideological because it only reflects the rational, instrumental, and calculative dimensions of self construction while ignoring the embodied nature of self-identity. The culture of the reflexive self is an ideological cultural mobilization associated with a relatively unilateral focus on life political issues in place of emancipatory political agendas.