A Historical • Ethnographic Account of a Canadian
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A Historical • Ethnographic Account Of A Canadian Woman in Sport, 1920 -1938: The Story of Margaret (Bell) Gibson by Katherine M. Laubman B.P.E., The University of Alberta, 1968 A Thesis Submitted In Partial Fulfillment Of The Requirements For The Degree Of Master of Physical Education in The Faculty of Graduate Studies (School Of Physical Education and Recreation) We accept this thesis as conforming to the required standard The University of British Columbia August 1991 Katherine Laubman, 1991 In presenting this thesis in partial fulfilment of the requirements for an advanced degree at the University of British Columbia, I agree that the Library shall make it freely available for reference and study. I further agree that permission for extensive copying of this thesis for scholarly purposes may be granted by the head of my department or by his or her representatives. It is understood that copying or publication of this thesis for financial gain shall not be allowed without my written permission. Department of The University of British Columbia Vancouver, Canada Date A&Lfjrl, mi DE-6 (2/88) ABSTRACT This study attempted to discover and describe the cultural knowledge and understandings that Margaret (Bell) Gibson derived from her performance as a highly successful athlete in Canadian women's sport during the 1920s - 1930s. A case study approach was used that employed qualitative research strategies. This approach was considered appropriate as prominent issues in women's lives are subtle and context- bound. A series of five informal interviews was conducted with Bell, using an ethnographic approach developed by Spradley (1979). Each interview was recorded and transcribed into text. The text was then validated by Bell, prior to analysis by the researcher. An inductive-reflexive analysis of the text was employed, as much of the information emerged as Bell recalled her experiences in sport. This involved the use of an evolving methodology, which identified classifications of knowledge and structures of thought as they were revealed. Bell's narrative was contextually-grounded in a review of Canadian history from 1920 to 1938, as this seemed to connect Bell's experience as a sportswoman to the broader socio-historical milieu. Findings were substantiated through a process of triangulated inquiry wherein verification was sought from newspaper clippings, official records, and historical documents. The analysis of Bell's narrative revealed a complex system of knowledge based on categories of information related to the structure of sport, social network, jumping, cultural activities, concepts of space and timing, and role definition. Documentation of the major sporting events Bell experienced, as an athlete, was also recorded. Implications for future research were discussed. ii TABLE OF CONTENTS Page ABSTRACT. - ii TABLE OF CONTENTS iii LIST OF FIGURES vi ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS vii CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION 1 Background to the Study . 1 The Research Question 2 The Nature of the Study 2 The Significance of the Study 3 Definition of Terms 4 Underlying Assumptions 6 Limitations of the Study 7 CHAPTER 2: REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE 9 CHAPTER 3: PROCEDURE 16 The Research Design 16 The Research Methodology 19 iii Page CHAPTER 4: CANADA BETWEEN THE WARS: DECADES OF DISCONTENT 24 Introduction 24 Patterns of Change 24 An Uncertain Canada 32 The Age of Mackenzie King 35 Nationalism and the Emergent Canadian Culture 37 CHAPTER 5: THE WOMAN'S MOVEMENT BETWEEN THE WARS .... 40 Women in the Public Sphere 40 Women at Work 51 Women in the Private Sphere 55 CHAPTER 6: PLAY LIKE GENTLEMEN: BEHAVE LIKE LADIES 59 Introduction 59 Women's Sport Between the Wars 60 CHAPTER 7: FAIR AND FLYING: THE STORY OF MARGARET (BELL) GIBSON 75 Introduction 75 The Road to Success ; 76 The Sports Scene. 82 The Structure of Sport - - 82 Cultural Activities Related to Sport 94 iv Page CHAPTER 8: DISCUSSION • • 105 Introduction • Summary of Findings Implications for Future Research H2 BIBLIOGRAPHY 115 APPENDIX: TRANSCRIPTS OF INTERVIEWS WITH MARGARET (BELL) GIBSON 122 LIST OF FIGURES Figure Page 1. Spradley's Development Research Sequence 17 2. Population Growth of Metropolitan Areas, 1930-31 and Percentage of Urban Population by Province, 1911-41 25 3. Reference List for Dates for the Achievement of Political Equality 42 4. The Canadian Population and Labour Force 52 5. Distribution of the Male Labour Force, 1921-41 and Distribution of the Female Labour Force, 1921-41 54 6. Componential Analysis of Sport Conceptualized by Margaret (Bell) Gibson 34 7. Taxonomy of the High Jump Conceptualized by Margaret (Bell) Gibson 91 8. Taxonomy of the Structure of Sport Conceptualized by Margaret (Bell) Gibson ^2 9. Taxonomy of the Structures of Sport Conceptualized by Margaret (Bell) Gibson ^ 10. Taxonomy of Cultural Activities Related to Sport Engaged In by Margaret (Bell) Gibson 95 11. Margaret Gibson's Social Network 101 vi ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This research project would not have been realized without the support of more people than I can individually thank. To these people I am very grateful. There are a number of people whom I would especially like to thank: Margaret Gibson, a very dear friend, who so generously shared her time, trust, and a wonderful portion of her life with me. My husband, Rob, and my children, Shaun, Robyn and Kent, for their love and understanding when my studies meant I was not there for them. My thesis committee - to Dr. B. Schrodt, Dr. P. Vertinsky, and Dr. J. Powell, for their faith in me and in this research project; for the generosity and wisdom they so kindly shared. My sister, Barbara, and friends who offered advice and encouragement when I was feeling discouraged. To Justine Stull, whose patience and perseverance with the word processor made this possible. To my fellow staff members at North Shore Continuing Education for their support and understanding. vii CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY This research endeavor evolved from a review of the literature of women's history in North America during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. A number of issues were identified. Because of the social, economic and political norms and barriers women faced, both in sport and in the broader cultural context, women often played different roles and had different experiences from men. Scholars also found that women often expressed perceptions of their experiences differently. When historians analyzed sources of information on women such as legal documents, medical textbooks, magazine articles, and newspaper reports; they found that most of the records were generated by men [59]. The researcher concluded that research efforts in women's sport history "... must begin from women's experience as women describe it" [40, 384]. This involves learning about the meanings of sport from the women who played them. It also entails an examination of the interrelationships between women's involvement in sport and other aspects of their lives. While the literature has documented the growth of sport for the middle and upperclass athlete who lived in Ontario and for the English living in Quebec, there remains a need to study the sporting experience of the female athlete who did not attend university and who grew up in the Western and the Maritime regions. This research looked at the sports experience of Margaret (Bell) Gibson. Bell, who grew up in British Columbia, competed in the high jump event at the 1936 Berlin Summer Olympic Games. She was a very active sportswoman who participated at Canadian and international levels of competition from 1929-1938. 1 THE RESEARCH QUESTION The purpose of this study was to discover and describe the cultural knowledge and understandings that Margaret (Bell) Gibson derived from her performance as a highly successful athlete in Canadian women's sport, during the 1920s-1930s, and what these revealed about women's experience with sport in Canada. THE NATURE OF THE STUDY The essential core of this research was to describe Bell's sense of what was happening while she was an active participant in the sports culture. It is the internal view that human beings have of their own actions, values and feelings that is the overriding prerequisite for understanding what they actually do [98]. The study took the form of a case- study and employed qualitative research strategies. A series of informal interviews using an ethnographic interview approach [84] and an inductive-reflexive analysis of the data was used. Bell's narrative was contextually-grounded in a review of Canadian history from 1920- 1938. Such an approach enabled one to understand Bell's sport experience in its full complexity and facilitated the best possible reconstruction of Bell's subjective sense of meaning. The researcher recognizes that as part of the world being studied, one must be aware of the effects of one's participation in this study. A co-operative, inter-subjective dialogue was engaged in from which Bell and the researcher came to a deeper understanding of the meaning of the events experienced in their areas of mutual interest. 3 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY From a historical perspective, the recounting of Bell's story was significant. Bell was the only female athlete from British Columbia to represent Canada in track and field in the 1936 Berlin Summer Olympic Games. It was important to document her story while she was still well enough to tell it. The determinants of human behavior are extremely complex and difficult to ascertain. Use of the ethnographic method in this study allowed