AN EXPLORATION OF HIGH-RISK LEISURE CONSUMPTION THROUGH SKYDIVING

A sociocultural approach is used to explore voluntary high-risk consum ption. Specifically, we examine the dynamics of individuals' motives, risk perceptions, and benefit/cost outcomes of participation in increa singly popular high-risk leisure activities such as skydiving, climbin g, and BASE jumping (parachuting from fixed objects). An ethnography o f a skydiving subculture provides the primary empirical data. We propo se an extended dramatic model that explains both macroenvironmental an d inter- and intrapersonal influences and motives for high-risk consum ption. Key findings indicate (1) an evolution of motives that explains initial and continuing participation in high-risk activities and (2) a coinciding evolution of risk acculturation that leads to the normali zation of risk.