Everyday Sexisms: Exploring the Scales of Misogyny in Sport

In this chapter I focus on sexism and sport with a focus on the context of Higher Education (HE) in the UK. I start with a brief introduction to the importance of work on discrimination before offering ways feminists have challenged sexism and misogyny. The latter involves a turn to the idea of feministkilljoys (Ahmed, 2010) and a return to the work of Joan Smith (1989). I consider contemporary sexism and misogyny within sporting cultures and practices in HE in the UK. I end with the idea of networks of solidarity as one way to challenge and transform discrimination in sport

“You should see me on the inside”: Researching the post-stroke mental health of a male professor of sport

Variable, and therefore miserable condition of man! This minute I was well, and am ill, this minute. … We study health, and we deliberate upon our meats, and drink, and air, and exercises, and we hew and we polish every stone that goes to that building; and so our health is a long and a regular work: but in a minute a cannon batters all, overthrows all, demolishes all: a sickness unprevented for all our diligence, unsuspected for all our curiosity; nay, underserved… . O miserable condition of man! (Donne, 1999 [1624], p. 3) This research note offers an original contribution to methodological discussion qua mental health, and associated emotionality, within the workplace of sport academia. Our focus is the post-stroke mental health of a male sociology of sport professor, and discussions are divided into two sections. The first section, which reiterates the title: ‘you should see me on the inside’, explores this statement in terms of researching the mental health of a work colleague. The second section, entitled ‘Sepp Blatter saved my life’, focuses on the tensions implicit to co-constructing knowledge of post-stroke mental health recovery

Transgender and Non-binary Swimming in the UK: Indoor Public Pool Spaces and Un/Safety

This paper draws from the findings of research that was initiated as a consequence of previous research activities related to University-LGBT community physical activity projects (2012–2018). Specifically, the research underpinning this paper centers transgender and non-binary experiences of recreational swimming and aquatic activity (2017–2020). To date, the research has received small amounts of funding from four sources and resulted in two public engagement activities (two art exhibitions). The findings that inform the discussion are taken from nine semi-structured interviews, three focus groups including a professionally drawn illustration of two of these focus groups, and sixty-three research participant's “drawings” as well as informal conversations with eight stakeholders. The findings concern transgender and non-binary people's feelings of un/safety in the public spaces of an indoor swimming pool and the accompanying display of their embodied self. These two elements of un/safety—spatiality and embodiment—are critically discussed in relation to physical activity and in/equality. In this way, the work contributes to sustained University-LGBT community links and provides possibility for evidenced-based intervention to address inequality

The boxers of Kabul: women, boxing and Islam

In this chapter, we focus on women who box, in particular Muslim women who box. Within Sport Studies and the Sociology of Sport there is limited discussion of this topic; Mitra (2009) offers one of few accounts. In the literature, there exist broader discussions surrounding women, Islam and sport and/or physical activity (cf. Benn et al., 2011; Hargreaves, 200; Kay, 2006; Walseth and Fasting, 2003), as well as analyses related to the histories of women boxers (Hargreaves, 1997; van Ingen, 2013a), women?s boxing bodies (Halbert, 1997; Mennesson, 2000), boxing uniforms (van Ingen and Kovacs, 2012), boxing and the Olympics (Lindner, 2012), and women boxers in film (Boyle et al., 2006; Caudwell, 2008; Fojas, 2009). Many of these contributions take a feminist perspective on the sport of boxing

Beneficial effects of exercise: shifting the focus from body weight to other markers of health

Background: Exercise is widely promoted as a method of weight management, while the other health benefits are often ignored. The purpose of this study was to examine whether exercise-induced improvements in health are influenced by changes in body weight. Methods: Fifty-eight sedentary overweight/obese men and women (BMI 31.8 (SD 4.5) kg/m2) participated in a 12-week supervised aerobic exercise intervention (70% heart rate max, five times a week, 500 kcal per session). Body composition, anthropometric parameters, aerobic capacity, blood pressure and acute psychological response to exercise were measured at weeks 0 and 12. Results: The mean reduction in body weight was −3.3 (3.63) kg (p<0.01). However, 26 of the 58 participants failed to attain the predicted weight loss estimated from individuals’ exercise-induced energy expenditure. Their mean weight loss was only −0.9 (1.8) kg (p<0.01). Despite attaining a lower-than-predicted weight reduction, these individuals experienced significant increases in aerobic capacity (6.3 (6.0) ml/kg/min; p<0.01), and a decreased systolic (−6.00 (11.5) mm Hg; p<0.05) and diastolic blood pressure (−3.9 (5.8) mm Hg; p<0.01), waist circumference (−3.7 (2.7) cm; p<0.01) and resting heart rate (−4.8 (8.9) bpm, p<0.001). In addition, these individuals experienced an acute exercise-induced increase in positive mood. Conclusions: These data demonstrate that significant and meaningful health benefits can be achieved even in the presence of lower-than-expected exercise-induced weight loss. A less successful reduction in body weight does not undermine the beneficial effects of aerobic exercise. From a public health perspective, exercise should be encouraged and the emphasis on weight loss reduced

Alcohol consumption and pre-drinking in Australian undergraduates

This thesis reports research on the application of psychological theory to predict, understand and change pre-drinking behaviour (i.e., consuming alcohol prior to attending a subsequent event). Three studies investigate the motivational and social-cognitive predictors of pre-drinking intentions and alcohol consumption. Two further studies based on these findings report the development and implementation of an online intervention to reduce pre-drinking alcohol consumption and related harm. Participants in the intervention reported reductions in these variables at follow-up

Football 4 Peace versus (v) Homophobia: A critical exploration of the links between theory, practice and intervention

In this chapter, we draw on our different past trajectories to explore the links between theories of sexualities and genders, and anti-homophobic, anti-transphobic and anti-biphobic intervention within UK University footballing contexts. Our critical reflections include over a decade of involvement with scholarship and campaigning surrounding gender and sexuality in football (Caudwell) and significant project development of the Football 4 Peace International reconciliation initiative (Spacey). We seek to plot the ways scholarship, especially theories of gender and sexualities, informs grassroots praxis. More specifically, we focus on the idea of making a difference when it comes to social divisions and inequalities vis-à-vis sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI). During our discussions we draw from a range of research materials, including the voices of young people and students to demonstrate the ways participation in football can help, as well as hinder, anti-discriminatory policy and practice at the level of the locale