Risky bodies, risky spaces, maternal ‘instincts’: swimming and motherhood
Journal article
Williams, R., Evans, A. and Allen-Collinson, J. 2016. Risky bodies, risky spaces, maternal ‘instincts’: swimming and motherhood. International Review for the Sociology of Sport. 52 (8), p. 972–991. https://doi.org/10.1177/1012690216633444
Authors | Williams, R., Evans, A. and Allen-Collinson, J. |
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Abstract | Swimming and aquatic activity are fields in which gendered, embodied identities are brought to the fore, and the co-presence of other bodies can have a significant impact upon lived experiences. To date, however, there has been little research on sport and physical cultures that investigates how meanings associated with space impact upon women’s embodied experiences of participating in swimming, specifically in the presence of their young children. Using semi-structured interviews and non-participant observations, this qualitative study employed a Foucauldian-feminist framework to explore self-perceptions and embodied experiences of aquatic activity amongst 20 women, who were swimming with children aged under 4. Results highlight that through ‘felt’ maternal responsibilities, the co-presence of babies’ and children’s bodies shifted women’s intentionality away from the self towards their child. Mothers’ embodied experiences were grounded in perceptions of space-specific ‘maternal instincts’ and focused upon disciplining their children’s bodies in the lived-space of the swimming pool. Key findings cohere around mothers’ felt concerns about hygiene, water temperature and safety, and elements of intercorporeality and ‘somatic empathy’. |
Keywords | Swimming; Gender ; Foucault ; Embodiment ; Motherhood ; Intercorporeality |
Year | 2016 |
Journal | International Review for the Sociology of Sport |
Journal citation | 52 (8), p. 972–991 |
Publisher | SAGE |
ISSN | 1012-6902 |
Digital Object Identifier (DOI) | https://doi.org/10.1177/1012690216633444 |
Official URL | https://doi.org/10.1177/1012690216633444 |
Publication dates | |
Online | 01 Mar 2016 |
01 Dec 2017 | |
Publication process dates | |
Deposited | 27 Feb 2020 |
Accepted author manuscript | File Access Level Open |
Output status | Published |
https://repository.canterbury.ac.uk/item/8qx19/risky-bodies-risky-spaces-maternal-instincts-swimming-and-motherhood
Download files
Accepted author manuscript
Evans, Williams, Allen-Collinson.2016RiskyBodies.Swimmingandmotherhood.IRSSprepubcopy.pdf | ||
File access level: Open |
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