(Dis)ability sport as an opportunity for empowerment or a reproduction of gender stereotypes? A life history of a female Paralympian

Speech


Brighton, J. and Sparkes, A. 2014. (Dis)ability sport as an opportunity for empowerment or a reproduction of gender stereotypes? A life history of a female Paralympian.
AuthorsBrighton, J. and Sparkes, A.
TypeSpeech
Description

Participation in (dis)ability sport is male dominated (DePauw and Gavron, 2005) and in spite of a few notable exceptions (Dashpner, 2010; Peers, 2012), academic analyses in this area has failed to listen to the voices of female athletes themselves in enlightening the construction and negotiation of athletic identity. Drawing on data generated from a wider four year ethnographic study into wheelchair sport in England we illuminate the experiences of Jenny, who after acquiring a spinal cord injury (SCI) in a car crash aged 17, became a two time Paralympian in wheelchair rugby and athletics. Taking a life history approach, we narrate Jenny’s journey from the rehabilitation clinic to professional athlete and fully fledged ‘supercrip’. In doing so, we outline on the pressures she faces embodying the ‘double bind’ minority status of being both (dis)abled and a woman (Hardin and Hardin, 2005) in relation to: 1) how she constructs her gendered and sexed identity in hegemonic masculine sporting environments 2) how she negotiates the tense relationships between (dis)ability and contemporary ideologies of feminine bodily perfection and 3) her responses to medicalising and sexualising media representations of her ‘supercrip’ identity. Reflections are provided that reveal the oppression female athletes are faced with in overtly dispelling dominant stereotypes of both (dis)ability and femininity. We argue that although participation and excellence in sport can be empowering, providing (dis)abled women opportunity for physical, social, emotional, and economic benefit, it is also dangerous, contributing to narrowly defined understandings of the self and reinforcing dominant gender/sex ideologies.

Year2014
ConferenceSporting Females: past, present and future 2014
File
Publication process dates
Deposited18 Dec 2014
Output statusUnpublished
Permalink -

https://repository.canterbury.ac.uk/item/872q7/-dis-ability-sport-as-an-opportunity-for-empowerment-or-a-reproduction-of-gender-stereotypes-a-life-history-of-a-female-paralympian

  • 103
    total views
  • 33
    total downloads
  • 0
    views this month
  • 0
    downloads this month

Export as

Related outputs

‘My body was no longer a problem’: Electric mountain biking, disability, and the cultural politics of green exercise.
Cherrington, J. and Brighton, J. 2024. ‘My body was no longer a problem’: Electric mountain biking, disability, and the cultural politics of green exercise. Transactions of the Institute of British Geographers. p. e12715. https://doi.org/10.1111/tran.12715
Trauma and spinal cord injury: Reflections from research into physical activity and sport
Brighton, J. and Williams, T. 2024. Trauma and spinal cord injury: Reflections from research into physical activity and sport. in: McMahon, J. and McGannon, K. R. (ed.) Trauma-Informed Research in Sport, Exercise, and Health Abingdon Routledge, Taylor and Francis.
Using sensory methods for researching disability in physical education.
Brighton, J., Powis, B. and Gubby, L. 2024. Using sensory methods for researching disability in physical education. in: Maher, A. J., Haegele, J. and Coates, J. (ed.) Routledge Handbook of Qualitative Methods for Researching Disability in Physical Education London Routledge, Taylor and Francis.
Who is “us” in “nothing about us without us”? Rethinking the politics of disability research
Inckle, K., Brighton, J. and Sparkes, A. C. 2023. Who is “us” in “nothing about us without us”? Rethinking the politics of disability research. Disability Studies Quarterly . 42 (3-4). https://doi.org/10.18061/dsq.v42i3-4.7947
Gym bodies: Exploring fitness cultures
Brighton, J., Wellard, I. and Clark, A. 2022. Gym bodies: Exploring fitness cultures. London Routledge, Taylor and Francis.
Moving beyond ‘models’: Theorizing physical disability in sport
Brighton, J., Townsend, R., Campbell, N. and Williams, T. 2021. Moving beyond ‘models’: Theorizing physical disability in sport . Sociology of Sport Journal. 38 (4), p. 386–398. https://doi.org/10.1123/ssj.2020-0012
Growth and adversity in disability sport following spinal cord injury
Brighton, J. 2020. Growth and adversity in disability sport following spinal cord injury. in: Wadey, R., Day M. and Howells, K. (ed.) Growth Following Adversity in Sport: A Mechanism to Positive Change London Routledge, Taylor and Francis. pp. 174-188
‘I am proud of my back’: an ethnographic study of the motivations and meanings of body modification as identity work among athletes with spinal cord injury
Sparkes, A., Brighton, James and Inckle, Kay 2020. ‘I am proud of my back’: an ethnographic study of the motivations and meanings of body modification as identity work among athletes with spinal cord injury. Qualitative Research in Sport, Exercise and Health. 13 (3), pp. 407-425. https://doi.org/10.1080/2159676x.2020.1756393
Autonomic dysreflexia and boosting in disability sport: exploring the subjective meanings, management strategies, moral justifications, and perceptions of risk among male, spinal cord injured, wheelchair athletes.
Sparkes, A. and Brighton, James 2019. Autonomic dysreflexia and boosting in disability sport: exploring the subjective meanings, management strategies, moral justifications, and perceptions of risk among male, spinal cord injured, wheelchair athletes. Qualitative Research in Sport, Exercise and Health. 12 (3), pp. 414-430. https://doi.org/10.1080/2159676x.2019.1623298
Disability, spinal cord injury, and strength and conditioning: sociological considerations
Brighton, J. 2018. Disability, spinal cord injury, and strength and conditioning: sociological considerations. Strength and Conditioning Journal. 40 (6), pp. 29-39. https://doi.org/10.1519/SSC.0000000000000419
‘It’s a part of me’: an ethnographic exploration of becoming a disabled sporting cyborg following spinal cord injury
Sparkes, A., Brighton, J. and Inckle, K. 2017. ‘It’s a part of me’: an ethnographic exploration of becoming a disabled sporting cyborg following spinal cord injury. Qualitative Research in Sport, Exercise & Health. 10. https://doi.org/10.1080/2159676X.2017.1389768
Using interviews to explore experiences of disability in sport and physical activity
Brighton, J. and Williams, T. 2018. Using interviews to explore experiences of disability in sport and physical activity. in: Medcalf, R. and Mackintosh, C. (ed.) Researching Difference in Sport and Physical Activity Routledge.
Imperfect perfection and wheelchair bodybuilding: challenging ableism or reproducing normalcy?
Sparkes, A., Brighton, J. and Inckle, K. 2017. Imperfect perfection and wheelchair bodybuilding: challenging ableism or reproducing normalcy? Sociology. https://doi.org/10.1177/0038038517737476
Gym Bodies (2): CrossFit
Brighton, J. 2015. Gym Bodies (2): CrossFit. Sport and Body Cultures Embodied Thought of the Month. 1, pp. 35-38.
Impaired sporting bodies and father-son relationships
Brighton, J. 2015. Impaired sporting bodies and father-son relationships. Sport and Body Cultures Embodied Thought of the Month. 1, pp. 21-24.
Embodied experiences within the context of disability
Brighton, J. 2015. Embodied experiences within the context of disability. Sport and Body Cultures Embodied Thought of the Month. 1, pp. 12-15.
Researching physical disability in sport: Reflections from an (able)bodied ethnographer
Brighton, J. 2015. Researching physical disability in sport: Reflections from an (able)bodied ethnographer. in: Wellard, I. (ed.) Researching Embodied Sport: Exploring Movement Cultures Routledge.
(Dis)ability by design: Narratives of bodily perfectionism
Brighton, J. and Sparkes, A. 2014. (Dis)ability by design: Narratives of bodily perfectionism.
(Dis)abled athletes as the “Ambassadors of transhumanism”
Brighton, J. and Sparkes, A. 2014. (Dis)abled athletes as the “Ambassadors of transhumanism”.
Disabled sporting bodies as sexual beings: Reflections and challenges
Sparkes, A., Brighton, J. and Inckle, K. 2014. Disabled sporting bodies as sexual beings: Reflections and challenges. in: Hargreaves, J. and Anderson, E. (ed.) Routledge Handbook of Sport, Gender and Sexuality Abingdon, Oxon Routledge. pp. 179-188
(Dis)ability by design: Narratives of bodily perfectionism amongst wheelchair athletes
Brighton, J. and Sparkes, A. 2014. (Dis)ability by design: Narratives of bodily perfectionism amongst wheelchair athletes.