Abstract & Overview
Until the late 1960s, women were largely excluded from the arenas of sport and athletics in North America.Since that time, women's presence in sport has risen and the gap between female and male participation has significantly decreased.Unfortunately though, pervasive and problematic constructions of normative masculinity and femininity persist and have negative implications for women participating in sport.This thesis explores the experiences of sportswomen in athletic and social contexts, the stigmatization that female athletes face, and how they manage this stigma and negotiate their identities as a response.It will also examine women athletes' experiences of injury and subsequent engagements with the medical system.This research aims to contribute to a greater understanding of the restrictive ideas of masculinity and femininity in order to examine the experiences of female athletes in an athletic context and without, and challenge the barriers to women's success and enjoyment in sports and athletics.rewarding experience, the completion of which, I hope to be the beginning of a fulfilling career in the field of Anthropology.I entered this program a recovering physical anthropologist/archaeologist, and thus a rather under-confident social theorist and cultural anthropologist.I have learned so much though, about myself and about academic work, and I finish this MA degree, a far more secure, budding researcher.This, however, would not have been possible, and my experience at Carleton would not have been nearly as successful or as impactful if it were not for a handful of important people who have had a very profound impact.First, I would like to express the sincerest gratitude to my supervisor, Dr. Jen Pylypa, and committee member, Dr. Kristin Bright, for their intellectual, emotional, and logistical support throughout the preparation, research and writing processes.Not only did they provide invaluable academic counsel and helpful practical advice, but their numerous theoretical and formatting thesis revisions were vital to its success.To Jen, thank you so much for your consistent intellectual guidance, your approachability, and your unyielding patience during my many timeline amendments.To Kristin, thank you so much for your endless suggestions of literature, contributions to my theoretical quiver, and your neverending encouragement.I would not have continued my academic journey if it were not for the two of you.I also owe a heartfelt thank you to those who volunteered as research participants and those who engaged with me during fieldwork.Thank you so much for telling your stories and sharing your experiences as athletes with me, in sport and in life.I feel so grateful and so privileged that you let me into your lives, even if just for a short time.Without you, this thesis would not have been possible.I wish you all the best in athletics and life!Thank you to my colleagues in the department for sharing in the commiseration and celebration during coursework