Gender Politics and the Olympic Industry (Palgrave Studies in the Olympic and Paralympic Games)

This book explores how the Olympic industry has shaped hegemonic concepts of sporting masculinities and femininities for its own profit and image-making ends, examining its continuing marginalization of athletes on account of their race, ethnicity, gender, sexuality and class. Gender Politics and the Olympic Industry identifies and analyses the historical and contemporary connections between the Olympic industry and gender, taking into account the variables of social class, race/ethnicity and sexuality. For more than 100 years, the Olympic industry has controlled global sport and shaped hegemonic concepts of sporting masculinities and femininities for its own profit- and image-making ends. The potential for exploitation and cooptation of women and disadvantaged minorities is great; the benefits few by comparison. The Olympics have a long and disturbing history of marginalizing women, Black people and people of colour, athletes from developing countries, and sexual minorities. Successful alternatives organized by these groups demonstrate that other ways of doing sport and doing gender are both possible and preferable Gender Politics And The Olympic Industry Identifies And Analyses The Historical And Contemporary Connections Between The Olympic Industry And Gender, Taking Into Account The Variables Of Social Class, Race/ethnicity And Sexuality. For More Than 100 Years, The Olympic Industry Has Controlled Global Sport And Shaped Hegemonic Concepts Of Sporting Masculinities And Femininities For Its Own Profit- And Image-making Ends. The Potential For Exploitation And Cooptation Of Women And Disadvantaged Minorities Is Great; The Benefits Few By Comparison. The Olympics Have A Long And Disturbing History Of Marginalizing Women, Black People And People Of Colour, Athletes From Developing Countries, And Sexual Minorities. Successful Alternatives Organized By These Groups Demonstrate That Other Ways Of Doing Sport And Doing Gender Are Both Possible And Preferable. Machine Generated Contents Note: 1.introduction -- 2.beyond Binaries: An Intersectional Analysis -- 3.the Limits Of Liberalism: Sex, Gender And Sexualities -- 4.challenges To The Olympic Industry -- 5.in The Pool, On The Ice: Contested Terrain -- 6.sex And The Games -- 7.conclusion. Helen Jefferson Lenskyj. Includes Bibliography (p. 137-152), Bibliographical References And Index. Gender Politics and the Olympic Industry identifies and analyses the historical and contemporary connections between the Olympic industry and gender, taking into account the variables of social class, race/ethnicity and sexuality. For more than 100 years, the Olympic industry has controlled global sport and shaped hegemonic concepts of sporting masculinities and femininities for its own profit- and image-making ends. The potential for exploitation and cooptation of women and disadvantaged minorities is great; the benefits few by comparison. The Olympics have a long and disturbing history of marginalizing women, Black people and people of colour, athletes from developing countries, and sexual minorities. Successful alternatives organized by these groups demonstrate that other ways of doing sport and doing gender are both possible and preferable. --Publisher's description Front Matter....Pages i-vi Introduction....Pages 1-10 Beyond Binaries: An Intersectional Analysis....Pages 11-38 The Limits of Liberalism: Sex, Gender and Sexualities....Pages 39-51 Challenges to the Olympic Industry....Pages 52-86 In The Pool, on the Ice: Contested Terrain....Pages 87-107 Sex and the Games....Pages 108-130 Conclusion....Pages 131-136 Back Matter....Pages 137-159