Rock Climbers Defying Gravity and Gender Expectations
by Allee, Kegan M., Ph.D., UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SANTA BARBARA, 2011, 165 pages; 3495656

Abstract:

This research seeks to explore a specific way that bodies may be redefined as feminine and strong. Much of the literature on gender analyzes the ways in which individuals are confined by gender expectations. Climbing is a venue that celebrates skills traditionally associated with femininity such as flexibility, but because it is assumed to require a lot of upper-body strength, it is not sport typed as feminine. This creates an ideal environment to combine qualities traditionally associated with both femininity and masculinity, and as individuals excel in climbing they discipline their bodies to cultivate both sets of characteristics. Developing both embodied masculine and feminine traits may blur embodied gender traits, and place less emphasis on binary categorizations. This is why climbing offers important opportunities to redefine our knowing bodies with respect to our gender. This research is based on thirty semi-structured interviews coded to produce grounded theory. I also conducted content analysis on thirty-eight issues of two popular climbing magazines, and utilized two years of participant observation to generate the theoretical analysis. The media analysis revealed less emphasis on normative femininity than other types of media, but women are still not represented equally in numbers of photographs, the number of female authors published, or the difficulty of the climbs. The women I interviewed described feeling both physically and socially stronger in their everyday lives, and also more empowered suggesting that climbing has a spill-over effect whereby women come to see themselves as more capable in their everyday lives. Ultimately, I suggest that activities such as rock climbing which allow women to develop holistic, strong, synchronized bodies helps them resist the dominant cultural messages associated with fragmented and weak femininity.

 
AdviserVerta Taylor
SchoolUNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SANTA BARBARA
SourceDAI/A 73-06, p. , Mar 2012
Source TypeDissertation
SubjectsWomen's studies; Sociology; Recreation and tourism
Publication Number3495656
Adobe PDF Access the complete dissertation:
 

» Find an electronic copy at your library.
  Use the link below to access a full citation record of this graduate work:
  http://gateway.proquest.com/openurl%3furl_ver=Z39.88-2004%26res_dat=xri:pqdiss%26rft_val_fmt=info:ofi/fmt:kev:mtx:dissertation%26rft_dat=xri:pqdiss:3495656
  If your library subscribes to the ProQuest Dissertations & Theses (PQDT) database, you may be entitled to a free electronic version of this graduate work. If not, you will have the option to purchase one, and access a 24 page preview for free (if available).

About ProQuest Dissertations & Theses
With over 2.3 million records, the ProQuest Dissertations & Theses (PQDT) database is the most comprehensive collection of dissertations and theses in the world. It is the database of record for graduate research.

The database includes citations of graduate works ranging from the first U.S. dissertation, accepted in 1861, to those accepted as recently as last semester. Of the 2.3 million graduate works included in the database, ProQuest offers more than 1.9 million in full text formats. Of those, over 860,000 are available in PDF format. More than 60,000 dissertations and theses are added to the database each year.

If you have questions, please feel free to visit the ProQuest Web site - http://www.proquest.com - or call ProQuest Hotline Customer Support at 1-800-521-3042.