Gender in Physical Culture ― Crossing Boundaries - Reconstituting Cultures

This volume outlines existing research relating to gender in physical culture. The introductory chapter employs Lamont and Molnàr’s (2002) idea of ‘boundaries’ as visible and invisible socially constructed borders that create social differences, as the theoretical framework for the book. Seven empirically-driven case studies follow which, on the one hand, demonstrate how boundary ‘work’ has taken and is taking place at the level of media, institutions, communities and individuals; and on the other hand, show how individuals, groups of individuals and organisations challenge and change dominant gender discourses and practices. The wide variety of rich case materials reveal how gender ideals not only normalize, but are actively and purposefully negotiated and transformed to create individualised and inclusive physical culture contexts. The final chapter explores how the book builds on and extends existing gender and physical culture research.

This book was originally published as a special issue of the journal Sport in Society.

Natalie Barker-Ruchti is Associate Professor in the Department of Food and Nutrition, and Sport Science, at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden. She researches elite sport contexts in relation to gender, learning, career development, and sustainability. She works with longitudinal research methodology and prefers alternative data presentation techniques, including narrative writing.

Karin Grahn is Senior Lecturer in the Department of Food and Nutrition, and Sport Science, at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden. She researches youth sports from a gender perspective, including sport coaching textbooks, gender relations in co-educated sports, and body ideals among competitive athletes. Karin works with diverse qualitative methods and employs a discourse analytical framework.

Eva-Carin Lindgren is Associate Professor in the Department of Food and Nutrition, and Sport Science, at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden. Her current research interests focus on how coaches construct children’s team sports, how coaches maximise participation in youth sport, and how top-level coaches construct sustainable sport for elite athletes. She adopts perspectives of gender, alternative intersectionality and health promotion, and works with different qualitative methods.