Femininity and the Physically Active Woman

Part 1: The Gendered Nature of Sport and Exercise. How Much Physical Activity do People Participate in? Why are Fewer Women than Men Physically Active? The 'Sporty' Type. Hegemonic Femininity. Towards a Psychology of the Physically Active Woman. Part 2: A Herstory of Sport. Biology as Destiny. Protecting Women as Mothers. Questioning Biological Femaleness. Feminine Appropriate Sports. Fighting Women. Questioning Femininity. The 'Masculine' Girl. Part 3: The Sporting Woman. Sportswomen as Girls, Wives and Mothers. Accommodation and Resistance. Women's Magazines. The Threat of the Lesbian Label. Lesbian Athletes. Performing Femininity. Part 4: The Muscular Woman. The Sport of Bodybuilding. The Female Bodybuilding Competition. Resistance or Compliance. Flex Appeal. Sex Appeal. The Beauty and the Beast. Part 5: The Exercising Woman. Pursuing Beauty Through Exercise. Beauty Equals Health. Women's Imperfect Bodies. Reducing the Body. Body Dissatisfaction. Self-objectification. Feminine Appropriate Exercise. Empowering Women. Part 6: The Influence of the Sporty Type. School Experiences. Perceptions of Ability. Negotiating Femininity and Physicality. Predicting Exercise Behaviour. A Theoretical Model of Activity Choice. Part 7: Future Directions. Alternative Sport Forms. Redefining Health and Physical Activity. Rethinking Gender. Bibliography. Index.