Contradictions in the meaning of physical-sportive activity in body identities of adolescent girls

Within the gender structure imposed by the social construction of the female body, the feeling of inadequacy of one’s body seems to characterize the configuration of female body identities in adolescence. This motivates among many young women a complex and often problematic relationship with physica...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inFeminismo/s (Universidad de Alicante) no. 21; pp. 15 - 35
Main Author María José Camacho Miñano
Format Journal Article
LanguageSpanish
Published Universidad de Alicante 01.06.2013
Subjects
actividad física y deporte
cuerpo
feminidad
identidades
mujeres adolescentes
post-estructuralismo
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Summary:Within the gender structure imposed by the social construction of the female body, the feeling of inadequacy of one’s body seems to characterize the configuration of female body identities in adolescence. This motivates among many young women a complex and often problematic relationship with physical activity and sport. Following a post-structuralist feminist approach, this paper focuses on three conflicts: 1) Physical activity to lose weight within instrumentalized discourses to achieve the ideal of beauty as well as to fight against obesity, 2) The socially constructed limit for female athletes between what is considered an attractive muscle tone and excessive muscle development, 3) Sexualization and social physical anxiety due to body exposure to an unwanted male gaze in different contexts of physical activity and sport.
ISSN:1696-8166
1989-9998
DOI:10.14198/fem.2013.21.02