I studied among other issues - sport, history and sociology and love to be be active in these areas. Gender, ethnicity and social class are issues which I research and write about. Phone: 0045 35320861
Statistics about the recreational physical activity (PA) of minority ethnic Muslim women reveal v... more Statistics about the recreational physical activity (PA) of minority ethnic Muslim women reveal very low participation rates. Drawing on approaches to socialization and Bourdieu’s concepts of habitus and taste, the aim of this study was to investigate the (lack of) PA participation of Muslim minority ethnic women in Denmark and to identify key influences which shape(d) their PA attitudes and practices. We conducted semi-structured interviews with 26 female migrant cleaners from various non-Western countries. The interviews revealed that a lack of previous experience of sport and recreational PA and life circumstances constrained participation in recreational PA. In contrast, religion did not provide an explanation for the women’s lack of engagement in recreational PA.
Numerous reports identify minority ethnic women as a population group which is greatly affected b... more Numerous reports identify minority ethnic women as a population group which is greatly affected by chronic illness. Health authorities tend to attribute their health problems to their lifestyle, for example refraining from participation in recreational physical activity (PA). However, little is known about the perspectives of the targets of health promotion, that is, their perceptions of and lived experiences with health recommendations. In this article we investigate minority ethnic women’s attitudes and practices, in particular with regard to PA. We conducted semi-structured interviews with 33 female migrant cleaners from non-western countries which provided insights into their everyday lives. We analysed the material drawing on the literature related to minority ethnic women and recreational PA, with a focus on Foucauldian scholars who have used the concepts of governmentality and disciplinary power. The interviewees considered weight loss the main benefit of recreational PA; this did, however, not lead to participation. Constraints to participation were exhaustion and lack of time caused by the demands of the women’s jobs and a ‘second shift’ at home. These findings confirm that the preoccupation with a healthy lifestyle is a privilege that requires socio-economic resources. Therefore, health policies must adapt to the needs of marginalised groups and take structural factors into consideration, such as the organisation of the labour market and the gendered division of work.
This paper contains a sociocultural analysis of school sport experiences of Muslim girls in two c... more This paper contains a sociocultural analysis of school sport experiences of Muslim girls in two countries with different gender policies in physical education (PE) classes: England and Denmark. In Denmark, PE lessons take place in co-educative classes, in England schools are more diverse, with predominantly co-educational but also single-sex and faith schools offering different learning contexts. Two case studies from Denmark and England are used to explore the experiences of migrant Muslim girls in these different settings. A social constructionist approach to gender underpins the interpretation of stakeholders' voices on the inclusion of Muslim girls and the analysis of PE discourses in these countries. Findings illustrate similarities and differences at the interface of cultural diversity, political rhetoric of inclusion and realities of sport experiences for Muslim girls in both countries. Complex influences on PE experiences include gender stereotypes, cultural and religious orientations and practices, as well as actions and expectations of parents, communities and coaches/teachers. The studies provide insights into the ways participants managed their identities as Muslim girls in different sport environments to enable participation and retention of their cultural identities. Highlighted throughout the paper are the ways in which school sport policy and practice, providers and gatekeepers, can include or exclude groups, in this case Muslim girls. Too often coaches and teachers are unaware of crucial facts about their learners, not only in terms of their physical development and capabilities but also in terms of their cultural needs. Mistakes in creating conducive learning environments leave young people to negotiate a way to participate or refrain from participation.
The purpose of this study was to explore the daily physical activities of Danish children with a ... more The purpose of this study was to explore the daily physical activities of Danish children with a focus on describing and explaining gender differences. Accelerometer measurements of physical activity in different contexts, as well as questionnaire data, were collected from more than 500 children at pre-school and later at third grade. The study showed that boys were generally more physically active than girls (18% at age 6-7, and 16% at age 9-10, both p < 0.001) and found differences in the types of activities undertaken by the two genders. These findings are in accordance with numerous other studies in Denmark as well as internationally. However, this study adds to this knowledge by showing that the gender difference in total amounts of activity was mainly due to large gender differences in the amounts of self-organized physical activity such as after-school day care (difference at age 6-7 ¼ 45%, difference at age 9-10 ¼ 58%, both p < 0.001) and school breaks (difference at age 6-7 ¼ 32%, difference at age 9-10 ¼ 36%, both p < 0.001). This could be partly explained by boys being more interested in playing football in contexts for children's self-organized activities.
Traditionally, football and fandom have been male domains and celebrations of masculinity. So far... more Traditionally, football and fandom have been male domains and celebrations of masculinity. So far there has been some sociological and historical research on women's football; however, little is known about women's fandom, in particular about its formation and development. This article focuses on the historical development of a Danish women-only fan group called 'The Female Vikings', which support a professional football club, Lyngby Boldklub (BK), in a city north of Copenhagen. The article explores the backgrounds and motivations of female fans, as well as their ways of staging femininity in a man's world. Drawing on available information about football and fans in Denmark, we have reconstructed the developments of both Lyngby BK and its supporters. Special focus was placed on the histories and cultures as well as the experiences of female fans in this club. Insights into the foundation of the women's fan group were provided by problem-centred interviews which also contained open questions. The foundation and activities of the Female Vikings show how women can perform gender in the fan's stands and how they play a significant role in the fan movement. The interviews also reveal the loyalty of the female fans during the club's 'crisis' and their 'collective memories'.
This article presents questions, methods, theories and early results of a study which is part of ... more This article presents questions, methods, theories and early results of a study which is part of the conglomerate Football Research in an Enlarged Europe (FREE). A sub-project of FREE deals with the 'feminisation of football', by exploring the role of women as football players and fans in a European context. To answer whether, and to what extent, women are members of the European fan community, we interviewed dedicated female fans of Danish men's football teams about the ways they support their clubs and their interest in, and identification with, clubs and teams in other countries. The interviews revealed that most women were interested in football on a European level and that many even travelled to football matches abroad where they enjoyed not only the matches, but also the live atmosphere. The interviewees combined their loyalties to their clubs with an interest in, and an identification with, foreign teams.
The workplace is regarded as an ideal setting for health promotion, not least because large secti... more The workplace is regarded as an ideal setting for health promotion, not least because large sections of the population, including “high risk groups”, can be reached. One group which is reportedly in great demand of health promotion is that of female (migrant) cleaners – the participants in our study. In this article we share information about the design and the evaluation of a worksite physical activity programme based on a social ecological approach to health promotion. Via participant observation and semi-structured interviews with 20 cleaners and their five supervisors we explored which factors constrained and which supported participation. The interviews revealed a high degree of appreciation for the training but also pointed to a number of constraints which were embedded into the participants’ biographies and everyday lives as migrant cleaners in Denmark. Most women had no previous experience with sport and exercise and struggled with the high demands at work and a “second shift” at home. As a consequence, most participants found the training too time- and energy-consuming. We conclude that exercise programmes should preferably be conducted at the workplace and during working hours.
The aim of this study was to explore the opportunities and challenges of female cleaners with reg... more The aim of this study was to explore the opportunities and challenges of female cleaners with regard to participation in leisure time physical activity (LTPA). We gained information about their everyday lives via semi-structured interviews with 25 women, most of them from rural Turkey. Drawing on the relevant literature on women’s work–life balance and (migrant) women’s participation in LTPA, we approached their work and leisure from an intersectionality perspective and explored if and how female cleaners engaged in LTPA and which constraints impeded their involvement. The interviewees’ narratives revealed that their everyday lives as unskilled migrant workers had a decisive influence on their opportunities of engaging in LTPA: most women struggled with the demands of a physically exhausting job and an extensive ‘second shift’ at home and therefore had great difficulty finding the time and energy to exercise. However, previous experience of LTPA seemed to have a decisive influence on their current LTPA practices.
Western societies glorify youth and consider middle age as the onset of deterioration. The preval... more Western societies glorify youth and consider middle age as the onset of deterioration. The prevalent discourses on middle-aged women focus primarily on negative developments in their lives such as increased health risks after menopause. Little is known, however, about the lived experiences of this age group. In this article, we share information about the health- and ageing-related attitudes of women aged 45–55 years who took part in a physical activity intervention in Denmark. Drawing on Foucault’s concepts of disciplinary power and governmentality, we explored via 15 semi-structured interviews the women’s reasons for participation and their experiences with playing a team game. The interviews revealed that they had internalized the messages of ‘healthy ageing’ and felt guilty about their previous inactive lifestyle. However, their participation was also influenced by changing life circumstances. Now they had time to exercise and, contrary to previous experiences, they found that playing games provided pleasure.
... « Pour les femmes adultes, tous les exercices physiques doivent être évalués en fonction de l... more ... « Pour les femmes adultes, tous les exercices physiques doivent être évalués en fonction de leurs effets sur la reproduction », indique par exemple Küstner en 193160. Quant à Hugo Sellheim, un gynécologue réputé, il attire l'attention sur le fait que Page 10. ...
In the 19th century, women, like the ovens they cooked on, belonged in the home and not on the sp... more In the 19th century, women, like the ovens they cooked on, belonged in the home and not on the sportsground. This was true of both Europe and the USA. It lay &#x27;in the nature of things&#x27; that girls should be excluded from the first initiatives and concepts of physical education ...
The aim of this article is the presentation and interpretation of the coverage of female football... more The aim of this article is the presentation and interpretation of the coverage of female football players in the largest German Boulevard Paper during the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup. Main issues are the ways in which the players are portrayed and women's football is "framed". In addition, there will be a focus on the self-presentations of the players and on their reactions to the mediated messages and images.
As their 'squad' of 11 players fight for possession, the German fans chant 'Deutsc... more As their 'squad' of 11 players fight for possession, the German fans chant 'Deutschland vor, noch ein Tor!' ['Forward Germany, another goal!'] such rituals in conjunction with a multitude of symbols and myths which glorify masculinity and national superiority are connected with football. ...
Statistics about the recreational physical activity (PA) of minority ethnic Muslim women reveal v... more Statistics about the recreational physical activity (PA) of minority ethnic Muslim women reveal very low participation rates. Drawing on approaches to socialization and Bourdieu’s concepts of habitus and taste, the aim of this study was to investigate the (lack of) PA participation of Muslim minority ethnic women in Denmark and to identify key influences which shape(d) their PA attitudes and practices. We conducted semi-structured interviews with 26 female migrant cleaners from various non-Western countries. The interviews revealed that a lack of previous experience of sport and recreational PA and life circumstances constrained participation in recreational PA. In contrast, religion did not provide an explanation for the women’s lack of engagement in recreational PA.
Numerous reports identify minority ethnic women as a population group which is greatly affected b... more Numerous reports identify minority ethnic women as a population group which is greatly affected by chronic illness. Health authorities tend to attribute their health problems to their lifestyle, for example refraining from participation in recreational physical activity (PA). However, little is known about the perspectives of the targets of health promotion, that is, their perceptions of and lived experiences with health recommendations. In this article we investigate minority ethnic women’s attitudes and practices, in particular with regard to PA. We conducted semi-structured interviews with 33 female migrant cleaners from non-western countries which provided insights into their everyday lives. We analysed the material drawing on the literature related to minority ethnic women and recreational PA, with a focus on Foucauldian scholars who have used the concepts of governmentality and disciplinary power. The interviewees considered weight loss the main benefit of recreational PA; this did, however, not lead to participation. Constraints to participation were exhaustion and lack of time caused by the demands of the women’s jobs and a ‘second shift’ at home. These findings confirm that the preoccupation with a healthy lifestyle is a privilege that requires socio-economic resources. Therefore, health policies must adapt to the needs of marginalised groups and take structural factors into consideration, such as the organisation of the labour market and the gendered division of work.
This paper contains a sociocultural analysis of school sport experiences of Muslim girls in two c... more This paper contains a sociocultural analysis of school sport experiences of Muslim girls in two countries with different gender policies in physical education (PE) classes: England and Denmark. In Denmark, PE lessons take place in co-educative classes, in England schools are more diverse, with predominantly co-educational but also single-sex and faith schools offering different learning contexts. Two case studies from Denmark and England are used to explore the experiences of migrant Muslim girls in these different settings. A social constructionist approach to gender underpins the interpretation of stakeholders&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;#39; voices on the inclusion of Muslim girls and the analysis of PE discourses in these countries. Findings illustrate similarities and differences at the interface of cultural diversity, political rhetoric of inclusion and realities of sport experiences for Muslim girls in both countries. Complex influences on PE experiences include gender stereotypes, cultural and religious orientations and practices, as well as actions and expectations of parents, communities and coaches/teachers. The studies provide insights into the ways participants managed their identities as Muslim girls in different sport environments to enable participation and retention of their cultural identities. Highlighted throughout the paper are the ways in which school sport policy and practice, providers and gatekeepers, can include or exclude groups, in this case Muslim girls. Too often coaches and teachers are unaware of crucial facts about their learners, not only in terms of their physical development and capabilities but also in terms of their cultural needs. Mistakes in creating conducive learning environments leave young people to negotiate a way to participate or refrain from participation.
The purpose of this study was to explore the daily physical activities of Danish children with a ... more The purpose of this study was to explore the daily physical activities of Danish children with a focus on describing and explaining gender differences. Accelerometer measurements of physical activity in different contexts, as well as questionnaire data, were collected from more than 500 children at pre-school and later at third grade. The study showed that boys were generally more physically active than girls (18% at age 6-7, and 16% at age 9-10, both p < 0.001) and found differences in the types of activities undertaken by the two genders. These findings are in accordance with numerous other studies in Denmark as well as internationally. However, this study adds to this knowledge by showing that the gender difference in total amounts of activity was mainly due to large gender differences in the amounts of self-organized physical activity such as after-school day care (difference at age 6-7 ¼ 45%, difference at age 9-10 ¼ 58%, both p < 0.001) and school breaks (difference at age 6-7 ¼ 32%, difference at age 9-10 ¼ 36%, both p < 0.001). This could be partly explained by boys being more interested in playing football in contexts for children's self-organized activities.
Traditionally, football and fandom have been male domains and celebrations of masculinity. So far... more Traditionally, football and fandom have been male domains and celebrations of masculinity. So far there has been some sociological and historical research on women's football; however, little is known about women's fandom, in particular about its formation and development. This article focuses on the historical development of a Danish women-only fan group called 'The Female Vikings', which support a professional football club, Lyngby Boldklub (BK), in a city north of Copenhagen. The article explores the backgrounds and motivations of female fans, as well as their ways of staging femininity in a man's world. Drawing on available information about football and fans in Denmark, we have reconstructed the developments of both Lyngby BK and its supporters. Special focus was placed on the histories and cultures as well as the experiences of female fans in this club. Insights into the foundation of the women's fan group were provided by problem-centred interviews which also contained open questions. The foundation and activities of the Female Vikings show how women can perform gender in the fan's stands and how they play a significant role in the fan movement. The interviews also reveal the loyalty of the female fans during the club's 'crisis' and their 'collective memories'.
This article presents questions, methods, theories and early results of a study which is part of ... more This article presents questions, methods, theories and early results of a study which is part of the conglomerate Football Research in an Enlarged Europe (FREE). A sub-project of FREE deals with the 'feminisation of football', by exploring the role of women as football players and fans in a European context. To answer whether, and to what extent, women are members of the European fan community, we interviewed dedicated female fans of Danish men's football teams about the ways they support their clubs and their interest in, and identification with, clubs and teams in other countries. The interviews revealed that most women were interested in football on a European level and that many even travelled to football matches abroad where they enjoyed not only the matches, but also the live atmosphere. The interviewees combined their loyalties to their clubs with an interest in, and an identification with, foreign teams.
The workplace is regarded as an ideal setting for health promotion, not least because large secti... more The workplace is regarded as an ideal setting for health promotion, not least because large sections of the population, including “high risk groups”, can be reached. One group which is reportedly in great demand of health promotion is that of female (migrant) cleaners – the participants in our study. In this article we share information about the design and the evaluation of a worksite physical activity programme based on a social ecological approach to health promotion. Via participant observation and semi-structured interviews with 20 cleaners and their five supervisors we explored which factors constrained and which supported participation. The interviews revealed a high degree of appreciation for the training but also pointed to a number of constraints which were embedded into the participants’ biographies and everyday lives as migrant cleaners in Denmark. Most women had no previous experience with sport and exercise and struggled with the high demands at work and a “second shift” at home. As a consequence, most participants found the training too time- and energy-consuming. We conclude that exercise programmes should preferably be conducted at the workplace and during working hours.
The aim of this study was to explore the opportunities and challenges of female cleaners with reg... more The aim of this study was to explore the opportunities and challenges of female cleaners with regard to participation in leisure time physical activity (LTPA). We gained information about their everyday lives via semi-structured interviews with 25 women, most of them from rural Turkey. Drawing on the relevant literature on women’s work–life balance and (migrant) women’s participation in LTPA, we approached their work and leisure from an intersectionality perspective and explored if and how female cleaners engaged in LTPA and which constraints impeded their involvement. The interviewees’ narratives revealed that their everyday lives as unskilled migrant workers had a decisive influence on their opportunities of engaging in LTPA: most women struggled with the demands of a physically exhausting job and an extensive ‘second shift’ at home and therefore had great difficulty finding the time and energy to exercise. However, previous experience of LTPA seemed to have a decisive influence on their current LTPA practices.
Western societies glorify youth and consider middle age as the onset of deterioration. The preval... more Western societies glorify youth and consider middle age as the onset of deterioration. The prevalent discourses on middle-aged women focus primarily on negative developments in their lives such as increased health risks after menopause. Little is known, however, about the lived experiences of this age group. In this article, we share information about the health- and ageing-related attitudes of women aged 45–55 years who took part in a physical activity intervention in Denmark. Drawing on Foucault’s concepts of disciplinary power and governmentality, we explored via 15 semi-structured interviews the women’s reasons for participation and their experiences with playing a team game. The interviews revealed that they had internalized the messages of ‘healthy ageing’ and felt guilty about their previous inactive lifestyle. However, their participation was also influenced by changing life circumstances. Now they had time to exercise and, contrary to previous experiences, they found that playing games provided pleasure.
... « Pour les femmes adultes, tous les exercices physiques doivent être évalués en fonction de l... more ... « Pour les femmes adultes, tous les exercices physiques doivent être évalués en fonction de leurs effets sur la reproduction », indique par exemple Küstner en 193160. Quant à Hugo Sellheim, un gynécologue réputé, il attire l'attention sur le fait que Page 10. ...
In the 19th century, women, like the ovens they cooked on, belonged in the home and not on the sp... more In the 19th century, women, like the ovens they cooked on, belonged in the home and not on the sportsground. This was true of both Europe and the USA. It lay &#x27;in the nature of things&#x27; that girls should be excluded from the first initiatives and concepts of physical education ...
The aim of this article is the presentation and interpretation of the coverage of female football... more The aim of this article is the presentation and interpretation of the coverage of female football players in the largest German Boulevard Paper during the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup. Main issues are the ways in which the players are portrayed and women's football is "framed". In addition, there will be a focus on the self-presentations of the players and on their reactions to the mediated messages and images.
As their 'squad' of 11 players fight for possession, the German fans chant 'Deutsc... more As their 'squad' of 11 players fight for possession, the German fans chant 'Deutschland vor, noch ein Tor!' ['Forward Germany, another goal!'] such rituals in conjunction with a multitude of symbols and myths which glorify masculinity and national superiority are connected with football. ...
Uploads
Papers by Gertrud Pfister