This paper is a sociological exploration of the female bodybuilder as a ‘cultural criminal’, a figure who is criminalized not because she has broken a formal law, but because she has disregarded so flagrantly people’s sense of what is... more
This paper is a sociological exploration of the female bodybuilder as a ‘cultural criminal’, a figure who is criminalized not because she has broken a formal law, but because she has disregarded so flagrantly people’s sense of what is aesthetically, kinesthetically and phenomenologically acceptable within the gendered order of social interaction (Goffman, 1983). Illustrating our argument with reference to a two-year study of British female bodybuilders, we begin by explicating the contours of this cultural criminality – associating it with multiple transgressions of deviant choice, aesthetics, action / experience, and consumption – and explore the costs accruing to, and the sentences served by, these stigmatized women. In the second half of the paper, we attend to the motivations and experiences of female bodybuilders themselves in explaining why they remain engaged in an activity rendered perverse by dominant cultural norms. Exploring their commitment to an interaction order based upon muscle rather than gender, our conclusion suggests these women offend the most fundamental ‘collective sentiments’, possessing no authorized place in the cultural consciousness of society (Durkheim, 1984).
The purpose of this study was to determine reasons women become competitive amateur bodybuilders. Participants were 63 adult female competitive bodybuilders who posted their biographies on a bodybuilding website. Each statement explaining... more
The purpose of this study was to determine reasons women become competitive amateur bodybuilders. Participants were 63 adult female competitive bodybuilders who posted their biographies on a bodybuilding website. Each statement explaining why participants became bodybuilders was classified by a panel of current female bodybuilders into one of six categories. The most frequently stated category was Emulation (27%), followed by Self Esteem and Empowerment (24%), Previous Participation in Sport (22%), Health (17%), and Other (10%). These findings suggest that motivators for competitive female amateur bodybuilding stem from multiple sources, but in general are similar to those of their male counterparts. Future avenues for research are discussed.
In recent years the 'body' has become one of the most popular areas of study In the arts, humanities and social sciences. Bodybuilding, In particular, continues to be of interest to scholars of gender, media, film, cultural... more
In recent years the 'body' has become one of the most popular areas of study In the arts, humanities and social sciences. Bodybuilding, In particular, continues to be of interest to scholars of gender, media, film, cultural studies and sociology. However, there is surprisingly little scholarship available on contemporary Bodybuilding. Critical Readings In Bodybuilding is the first collection to address the contemporary practice of Bodybuilding, especially the way In which the activity has become increasingly more extreme and to consider much neglected debates of gender, eroticism, and sexuality related to the activity. Featuring the leading scholars of Bodybuilding and the body as well as emerging voices, this volume will be a key addition to the fields of Sociology, Sport Studies, and Cultural Studies.
The purpose of this study was to determine reasons women become competitive amateur bodybuilders. Participants were 63 adult female competitive bodybuilders who posted their biographies on a bodybuilding website. Each statement explaining... more
The purpose of this study was to determine reasons women become competitive amateur bodybuilders. Participants were 63 adult female competitive bodybuilders who posted their biographies on a bodybuilding website. Each statement explaining why participants became bodybuilders was classified by a panel of current female bodybuilders into one of six categories. The most frequently stated category was Emulation (27%), followed by Self Esteem and Empowerment (24%), Previous Participation in Sport (22%), Health (17%), and Other (10%). These findings suggest that motivators for competitive female amateur bodybuilding stem from multiple sources, but in general are similar to those of their male counterparts. Future avenues for research are discussed.
