Gliding on the edge of the iron cage: performing rationality and artistry in the sport of figure skating

Prior studies on growing formal rationalization in evaluation systems have overwhelmingly shown that they operate as “iron cages,” which redefine standards of excellence around quantifiable metrics. However, existing literature may have overestimated the extent of isomorphism in individual or organizational practices under highly rationalized systems of assessment. The judging system in figure skating both rewards quantifiable technical merit and valorizes a circumscribed notion of artistry characterized by maturity and authenticity. It constitutes a combination of formal rationalization and culturally specific productions of artistry, offering participants a distinct set of options in constructing their competition routines. Drawing on exclusively obtained interview data with 40 Olympic-level figure skaters from the U.S. and 5 other countries, and following Alexander’s (Sociol Theory 22(4):527–573, 2004) social performance theory, I explore the contingent process by which figure skaters maneuver between conformity to the formally rationalized rulebook and the non-isomorphic yet culture-structured performances of artistry. In doing so, I identify three types of skaters based on their embodiment of artistry: the emerging phenoms, the athletic performers and the “authentic” artists. My article reveals that despite rationalizing tendencies of the scoring system, skaters strive for social performances of artistry based on shared cultural scripts of greatness in the sport.