Dedicated Athletes, Deviant Women: The Experience of Being an Amateur Sportswoman in a Contemporary Canadian Context

Until the late 1960s, women were largely excluded from the arenas of sport and athletics in North America. Since that time, women’s presence in sport has risen and the gap between female and male participation has significantly decreased. Unfortunately though, pervasive and problematic constructions of normative masculinity and femininity persist and have negative implications for women participating in sport. This thesis explores the experiences of sportswomen in athletic and social contexts, the stigmatization that female athletes face, and how they manage this stigma and negotiate their identities as a response. It will also examine women athletes’ experiences of injury and subsequent engagements with the medical system. This research aims to contribute to a greater understanding of the restrictive ideas of masculinity and femininity and to challenge the barriers to women’s success and enjoyment in sports and athletics.