I Girlie Girls Aren't “Real” Athletes: a Critical Examination of Girls' Experiences of Aesthetic Sports Within a Post-F
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i Girlie Girls Aren’t “Real” Athletes: A Critical Examination of Girls’ Experiences of Aesthetic Sports within a Post-Feminist Masquerade Laura Kovac, Bachelor of Recreation and Leisure Studies Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts Social Justice and Equity Studies Program, Brock University St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada © 2017 ii ABSTRACT The purpose of this feminist research was to understand the experiences of adolescent females currently participating in aesthetic sports. Specifically, I aimed to critically examine the ways in which the new feminine ideal and a post-feminist girl culture shape girls’ experiences. A social constructionist grounded theory approach was used and a purposive sample of eight girls, between the ages of 12-15, participated in this study. Three major themes that best reflect my interpretation of the experiences of the participants emerged: 1) Masculinities and revealing a higher social status in the school environment, 2) Framing success through gendered and neoliberal discourses, and 3) Constructing an ideal image. Moreover, the major themes resulted in the culmination of experiences leading to the core theme “Falling short of the neoliberal ideal.” The study highlights the need for educators and sport practitioners to advocate for a diversity of gender expression. Key Words: Gender, girls, neoliberalism, sport, post-feminism iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENT I would first like to thank my thesis advisor Dr. Dawn Trussell. I feel so fortunate to have had the opportunity to complete both my undergraduate and master’s theses with Dawn. She has always been there to give me advice, guidance, and mentorship when I needed it. Her on-going support and feedback have been invaluable to this project. I am gratefully indebted to Dr. Shauna Pomerantz and Dr. Trent Newmeyer for providing me with invaluable comments on my thesis. Shauna’s work, in particular, has played a large role in shaping this thesis. I would like to thank to my graduate program directors, Dr. Mary-Beth Raddon and Dr. Mary Breunig, for their support in helping guide me through this program. I would also like to extend my gratitude to my professors and classmates in the Social Justice and Equity Studies program for helping me to learn and grow. Finally, I must express my very profound gratitude to my family and to my partner for providing me with unfailing support and continuous encouragement throughout the process of researching and writing this thesis. iv Table of Contents ABSTRACT .................................................................................................................................... ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENT ............................................................................................................. iii Chapter One: Introduction .............................................................................................................. 1 Neoliberalism, Post-feminism, and Girl Culture ....................................................................................... 2 Sport and the Construction of Gender Ideals ........................................................................................... 4 The Personal is Political ............................................................................................................................ 6 Defining Traditionally Feminine and Masculine Sports ............................................................................ 7 Aim of the Study and Significance ............................................................................................................ 9 Chapter Two: Theoretical Perspective .......................................................................................... 11 Social constructionism ........................................................................................................................... 11 Feminism ................................................................................................................................................ 13 Hegemonic Masculinity and Emphasized Femininity ............................................................................. 16 Chapter Three: Literature Review ................................................................................................ 19 Identities in Flux: Tomboys, Girlie Girls, and the New Feminine Ideal ................................................... 19 Throwing like a Girl versus Playing like a Boy ......................................................................................... 23 Regulatory Gaze ..................................................................................................................................... 25 Summary ................................................................................................................................................ 28 Chapter Four: Methodology .......................................................................................................... 30 Grounded Theory through a Constructionist Approach ......................................................................... 31 Reflexivity ............................................................................................................................................... 33 Research Strategies and Methods of Collection and Analysis ................................................................ 34 Participants and Recruitment Strategies ............................................................................................ 34 Data Collection ................................................................................................................................... 35 Data Analysis ...................................................................................................................................... 36 Trustworthiness...................................................................................................................................... 39 Ethical Considerations ............................................................................................................................ 39 Chapter Five: Findings .................................................................................................................. 41 Profiles ................................................................................................................................................... 41 Introduction ........................................................................................................................................... 43 Theme #1: Masculinities and Revealing a Higher Social Status in the School Environment .................. 44 Privileging Masculine Identities at School and Enhancing Girls’ Social Status ................................... 44 Denigrating Boys Participation in Aesthetic Sports and Sexual Stigma .............................................. 48 v Theme #2: Framing Success through Gendered and Neoliberal Discourses .......................................... 51 Playing with the Boys and the Marginalization of Girls’ Achievements ............................................. 51 Viewing Aesthetic Sports as Offering Self Improvement through Self Discipline .............................. 54 Theme #3: Constructing the Ideal Image ............................................................................................... 59 Critiquing the Girlie Girl as Excessive or Lacking ................................................................................ 59 Conforming to the Regulatory Gaze ................................................................................................... 62 Constructing the Ideal Appearance through Consumption ................................................................ 65 Core Theme: Falling Short of the Neoliberal Ideal ................................................................................. 68 Chapter 6: Discussion ................................................................................................................... 71 Limitations and Future Research Considerations ................................................................................... 76 Practical Implications ............................................................................................................................. 77 Post-Script Reflections ........................................................................................................................... 78 Reflections on Self .............................................................................................................................. 78 Reflections on the Girls ...................................................................................................................... 80 Reflections on Social Justice ............................................................................................................... 81 References ..................................................................................................................................... 83 Appendix A- Recruitment Poster ........................................................................................................ 98 Appendix B- Interview Guide .............................................................................................................. 99 Appendix C- Letter of Invitation ......................................................................................................