Sex Integration in Sport and Physical Culture ─ Promises and Pitfalls

Scholars working in the academic field of sport studies have long debated the relationship between sport and gender. Modern sport forms, along with many related activities, have been shown to have historically supported ideals of male superiority, by largely excluding women and/or celebrating only men’s athletic achievements. While the growth of women’s sport throughout the 20^th and 21^st centuries has extinguished the notion of female frailty, revealing that women can embody athletic qualities previously thought exclusive to men, the continuation of sex segregation in many settings has left something of a discursive ‘back door’ through which ideals of male athletic superiority can escape unscathed, retaining their influence over wider cultural belief systems. However, sex-integrated sport potentially offers a radical departure from such beliefs, as it challenges us to reject assumptions of male superiority, entertaining very different visions of sex difference and gender relations to those typically constructed through traditional models of physical culture. This comprehensive collection offers a diverse range of international case studies that reaffirm the contemporary relevance of sex integration debates, and also articulate the possibility of sport acting as a legitimate space for political struggle, resistance and change.

This book was originally published as a special issue of Sport in Society.

Alex Channon is Senior Lecturer in Physical Education and Sport Studies at the University of Brighton, UK. His interests largely center on the relationship between sport, violence, and gender.

Katherine Dashper is Senior Lecturer at Leeds Beckett University, UK. She has published widely on equestrian sport, gender, diversity, inclusion, and human-animal relationships in sport and leisure practices.

Thomas Fletcher is Senior Lecturer at Leeds Beckett University, UK. He has published widely on the topics of race/ethnicity and sport/leisure in academic journals and books.

Robert J. Lake is an Instructor in Sport Sociology at Douglas College, Canada. He has published widely on the sport of tennis, its history and social issues, including gender, class, exclusion, nationalism, coaching, talent development and policy.