Femininity, sexuality and sport: A case study of female inter-university varsity athletes.

This study examines the marginalization of women\u27s sport, and the social control experienced by elite female athletes. The research provides a critical assessment of the contemporary literature on women in sport, observation of female athletes in the media, perceptions based on my own experience as a varsity athlete, and an analysis of in-depth interviews with other female inter-university varsity athletes. Together the findings of this study indicate that an emphasis on traditional expectations of femininity and an association between lesbian images and female athletes are found within women\u27s sport, particularly for those women participating in traditionally masculine sports. It is then argued that as more emphasis is placed on their appearance and sexuality than their performance, the accomplishments of female athletes are discredited, and their experience in sport diminished.Dept. of Sociology and Anthropology. Paper copy at Leddy Library: Theses & Major Papers - Basement, West Bldg. / Call Number: Thesis2000 .D88. Source: Masters Abstracts International, Volume: 39-02, page: 0419. Adviser: Suzan Ilcan. Thesis (M.A.)--University of Windsor (Canada), 2000