Professional age: on the issue of sociological conceptualization (on the example of professional athletes)

The article presents a sociological conceptualization of the category “professional age” in relation to the field of professional sports. Based on the interpretation of the terms “age” and “professional athlete”, the author’s vision of the category “professional age” is proposed. The interpretation of the concept of “professional age” is carried out through the prism of chronological, biological, social, and psychological ages, as a result of which the specifics of professional age are determined on the example of professional athletes. The specific features of integration of athletes into the professional environment, which is associated with the specific functioning of this sphere of activity that affects the process of formation of their professional age, are shown. In turn, the professional age of athletes is determined, firstly, by the earlier entry of the individual into the professional sports environment and, consequently, by a faster entry into professional age; secondly, a shorter work experience depending on the sport compared to other areas of work and, accordingly, a faster completion of professional age. Factors leading to the formation of perceptions of professional age are established: discrepancy between the chronological and social functioning of the individual; effects of biological ageing on the course of professional age; effect of psychological aging on the duration of professional age. The characteristics of the professional age of athletes that have a changeable nature of existence are revealed: heterochronicity, variability, normativity, multidimensionality, linearity and cyclicality. The professional age of athletes is analyzed as a multivariate social phenomenon, in particular, the significance of biographical, ideological, social-stratificational, ethnological, historical, aesthetic research aspects is revealed. The socio-cultural features of the professional age of the representatives of elite sport are for egrounded, firstly, the construction of the sports self-awareness of the individual / community, which is specific depending on the kind of sport; secondly, the construction of a sports subculture based on a constant stressful situation. On the basis of theoretical developments, the author’s conceptualization of the professional age of athletes is proposed.