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Industry: Email Alert RSS FeedLiving the paradox: female athletes negotiate femininity and muscularity
Sex Roles: A Journal of Research, March, 2004 by Vikki Krane, Precilla Y.L. Choi, Shannon M. Baird, Christine M. Aimar, Kerrie J. Kauer
Track Athlete 3: I would rather be an athlete; I'd rather not be a model out there getting pictures taken just for her body, I'd rather have muscles, you know, and do the sport, and be recognized for it and know that I'm doing something good for myself. Soccer Player: I think that people look up to athletes more than they look up to models.... They give them more respect. Track Athlete 1: I'd rather be respected for running rather than my looks. Soccer Player: 'Cause it's something you can control.
Part of becoming a successful athlete is developing a strong muscular body. They recognized that the cultural ideal exemplified a smaller physique, yet these athletes were proud of their strong, developed bodies. As a rugby player stated:
It doesn't bug me to see people a lot smaller than me or whatever
because I know I'm healthy and I know most of it's muscle. Like
when I work out and stuff, like I can just see the muscles when I
move, like them flexing. And I think if someone says 'you're
thick' and 'you're like a healthy muscular,' and it's more muscle
than fat, then it's cool.
A softball player echoed this sentiment when she stated:
You've lifted, you've run, your bodies are all, yeah they're
different, but they have that bulk, you know, but when you go out
in your normal clothes and mix with all the normal people and you
feel different. When your arms are stronger and your legs are
stronger and you're not the little fragile person, you do feel
different.
The essence of this data category was exemplified by VB/Hockey Player, who explained:
I used to be like more self-conscious about my size, but I mean I
look around and I see so many more athletes around on campus that
are big, you know, but they're built like Mack trucks. I don't
think it's anything to be ashamed about. I'm very proud that I'm a
big girl.
These athletes appeared to redefine what it meant to be a muscular woman. They focused on how they are strong and healthy even if they are different than other women. They were proud of their status as athletes and the bodies they developed through training and competition.
Empowerment
Not only were these women proud of being athletic, they also felt empowered because of their strength and skill. As they discussed, being an athlete "helps your self-esteem," "it gives us more of a sense of time management and confidence," "you feel stronger and you feel independent," and it leads to "self-respect." These feelings of empowerment generalized beyond the sport context and helped the women to feel self-sufficient:
I know people won't mess with me. 'You mess with me and look you
gotta deal with this.' Like in the real world I think it will help
me out in the long run because I don't think people will mess with
me, you know.... Whether it be on a job or like walking down New
York City in the middle of the night and I think my chances of
getting mugged will be lower than some waif-like person walking
around. (VB/Hockey Player)
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