Academic book on the sociology of caving
- Thread starter David Rose
- Start date
Andy Farrant
Active member
The description reads "Exploring the Natural Underground offers a comprehensive investigation of the societal context in which caving takes place. Thereafter, it goes on to argue that the natural underground can be used as a means of escaping some of the unavoidable influences of consumer capitalism in the way that it stimulates imaginations, senses and emotions differently." I guess caving can be construed as a way of avoiding shopping, but that's possibly a better hypotheses for why we go caving than the 'boys own pseudo-erotic' reason that one academic came up with based on the premise that caving involves penetrating virgin passage.... Hope it mentions the words 'fun' and 'shared experiences' somewhere.
You could ask Jenny if the book is available in the British Caving Library, and if not, purchase a copy.
You could ask Jenny if the book is available in the British Caving Library, and if not, purchase a copy.
Some of chapter 3 is available on Google, but there seem to be very few reviews of it. Amazon has:
María Alejandra Pérez, West Virginia University, USA
T&Fonline has this:
Review
'In Exploring the Natural Underground, Bingham examines the transformative power of dreaming, accessing, and exploring the hidden dimensions of our Earth. Deeply contemplative and philosophical, this book is about the power of hidden dimensions which inspire new ways of living, being, and imagining, together. It is an “existential leap” indeed.'María Alejandra Pérez, West Virginia University, USA
About the Author
Kevin Bingham is Higher Education Lecturer in the Department of Service Industries at Barnsley College in the United Kingdom. He has published in the fields of leisure studies, sport and sociology.T&Fonline has this:
He has also written an article called "Of caves and caving: towards an understanding of the art of sublimation" for the journal in previous post, as well as others about urban exploring (& has changed institution):
ulincoln.academia.edu
The above Amazon review is taken from the publisher's website.
Kevin P Bingham - Profile on Academia.edu
Kevin P Bingham, University of Lincoln: 40 Followers, 2 Following, 14 Research papers. Research interests: Sociology, Urban exploration, and Leisure.
ulincoln.academia.edu
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cap n chris
Well-known member
I'd heard that quip about the BEC before but it's a misquote. "The BEC is a drinking club with a caving problem". It should read "The BEC is a drinking club with a drinking problem", apparently.
Martin Laverty
Active member
I don't think the BCL has any more than a very modest budget for buying books.
Surely this, indeed all, authors (and/or publishers) should be encouraged to check that the BCL catalogue their output, at least? Just search for your name here
Better still, they might treat the BCL as a copyright deposit library (especially if not all the six UK Legal Deposit Libraries take a copy).
hyweldavies
Active member
Hardly a controversial opinion !
AKuhlmann
Active member
A sociology student friend of mine very recently asked me about this book. We were looking to find Kevin himself - but we could not find any contact details for him unfortunately, except his place of study
Chris Curry
Active member
The university Staff Directory gives his e-mail address as KBingham@lincoln.ac.uk if you're wanting to get in touch
Chris Curry
Active member
Pretty sure this is nonsense? I'd always considered the terms synonyms, 'speleologist' being slightly more formal/pretentious. I've never heard of anyone considering themselves a speleologist but not a caver, or vice-versa. Is this actually a distinction made by anyone in the caving community?
cap n chris
Well-known member
Speleology is the scientific study of caves whereas caving isn't. Therefore a speleologist is caving while researching underground while not falling into the category of being a caver per se, but a caver is not a speleologist while caving recreationally.
Gretchen_Karabiners
New member
My mother has a theory that I like caves because I get to socialise without having to interpret lots of social cues and facial expressions. I think It's less that and more that I like exploring and squeezing and climbing like a toddler.
mrodoc
Well-known member
As a long standing BEC member and acquaintance of the late Tony Jarratt I can state with confidence that the reference to rough diamonds nutters etc., is a farewell comment from him. I am wondering as my cousin taught in Barnsley in physical education and was a caver (now prominent climber) whether she knew the book's author. Caving suits my personality in that it offers more than recreation but the chance to dabble in just about everything else whether it be geology, archaeology, surveying, diving etc etc. albeit at a superficial level compared to most others. There is also the undoubted excitement on entering a location nobody has seen before. Caving is all about 'What's around the next corner?" which is what got the human race to its current (precarious) position! Finally could this book be a spoof if you cannot find the author? I did check the date. I also refer you to an article in the Speleologist by the late Bob Leakey on the topic of why we go caving that provoked quite a response.
David Rose
Well-known member
I don't think so!
David Rose
Well-known member
I am certain it's not a spoof. Routledge is a mainstream academic publisher. The author has also written at least one academic article, which I have to say I find impossible to follow. https://www.academia.edu/101583152/...ds_an_understanding_of_the_art_of_sublimation
tdobson
Active member
If it had been published in 2026, I'd have blamed AI.
Given when it was published, I'm more tempted to blame Parkinson's law and pre-AI hallucinations.
Amazon allows you to read a preview - click Read Sample
Given when it was published, I'm more tempted to blame Parkinson's law and pre-AI hallucinations.
Amazon allows you to read a preview - click Read Sample
cap n chris
Well-known member
Why does the word "pseud" loom in my thoughts? I cave 'cos digging, innit.
David Rose
Well-known member
This is the abstract of his article:
"Mobilizing Herbert Marcuse’s argument that modern leisure has been desublimated, which means it represses creativity, imagination and freedom, this article explores the idea that some forms of leisure can be paralogical. This is the suggestion that leisure can be a way of contradicting the legislating rules of consumer culture despite existing within (and therefore being part of) its language game. Using the example of caving, together with Peter Sloterdijk’s celebration of anthropotechnics which is a term he uses to refer to the labour of self-shaping and the practice of self-creation, the article reveals how cavers might disrupt and challenge the normal temporal, spatial and existential orders found in present modernity and caving. Beginning with a discussion that challenges both the old language of caving and figures of control and authority who created it, an attempt is made to reinterpret caves as sites of potential resistance as they are used by some people to find an unstable state known as the differend. The article concludes with the observation that seeking sublimation in the natural underground is in the end all about experiencing feelings of sublimity which occur only after the differend has been located."
Maybe he did spend just a bit too long with these BEC chaps.
"Mobilizing Herbert Marcuse’s argument that modern leisure has been desublimated, which means it represses creativity, imagination and freedom, this article explores the idea that some forms of leisure can be paralogical. This is the suggestion that leisure can be a way of contradicting the legislating rules of consumer culture despite existing within (and therefore being part of) its language game. Using the example of caving, together with Peter Sloterdijk’s celebration of anthropotechnics which is a term he uses to refer to the labour of self-shaping and the practice of self-creation, the article reveals how cavers might disrupt and challenge the normal temporal, spatial and existential orders found in present modernity and caving. Beginning with a discussion that challenges both the old language of caving and figures of control and authority who created it, an attempt is made to reinterpret caves as sites of potential resistance as they are used by some people to find an unstable state known as the differend. The article concludes with the observation that seeking sublimation in the natural underground is in the end all about experiencing feelings of sublimity which occur only after the differend has been located."
Maybe he did spend just a bit too long with these BEC chaps.
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