Women, Sport, and Women, Sport, and Exercise in the 19th Exercise in the 19th

CenturyCentury

Male/female: men/womenMale/female: men/women

GenderGender

MASCULINITY: the images, ideas, MASCULINITY: the images, ideas, and symbols traditionally and symbols traditionally defined as belonging to the male defined as belonging to the male sex.sex.

FEMININITY: the images, ideas, FEMININITY: the images, ideas, and symbols traditionally and symbols traditionally defined as belonging to the defined as belonging to the female sex.female sex.

Gender polarityGender polarity Social valuesSocial values MedicineMedicine ReligionReligion EducationEducation sexualitysexuality

-Social reform: the middle class -Industrial revolution-Disease-The bicycle-universities

FactorsFactors

Social ValuesSocial Values

Kingston Kingston GazetteGazette April 28, 1812 April 28, 1812 “…“…an exercise which allowably an exercise which allowably

beneficial to the health when beneficial to the health when practiced in the proper place, loses practiced in the proper place, loses that merit when a delicate girl that merit when a delicate girl mounts a lofty and dangerous swing mounts a lofty and dangerous swing just after leaving a warm tea room, just after leaving a warm tea room, and at that hour of all others when and at that hour of all others when the chilly dew is most prejudicial to the chilly dew is most prejudicial to even a strong constitution.”even a strong constitution.”

New France, cottage New France, cottage industries, small factories, industries, small factories,

farms farms

vs. the urban middle classvs. the urban middle class

Compounding issuesCompounding issues

Middle class valuesMiddle class values

The familyThe family Public manPublic man Creating and sustaining polaritiesCreating and sustaining polarities Disease, health, and the new doctorDisease, health, and the new doctor The help of science and medicine The help of science and medicine

(perceived physiological differences)(perceived physiological differences) Menstruation – disability – hysteria – Menstruation – disability – hysteria –

the internal and eternal woundthe internal and eternal wound Vital energyVital energy Controlling women’s bodiesControlling women’s bodies

British Medical Journal 1867British Medical Journal 1867

““As a body who practise among As a body who practise among women, we have constituted women, we have constituted ourselves, as it were the guardians ourselves, as it were the guardians of their interests, and – in many of their interests, and – in many cases – the custodians of their cases – the custodians of their honour. We are, in fact, the honour. We are, in fact, the stronger and they the weaker. stronger and they the weaker. They are obliged to believe all that They are obliged to believe all that we tell them and we, therefore, we tell them and we, therefore, may be said to have them at our may be said to have them at our mercy.”mercy.”

Later on…Later on… ““Women’s physical and sexual Women’s physical and sexual

identities remained cloaked in identities remained cloaked in mystery and shame.” mystery and shame.”

““Good women…possess no language Good women…possess no language and no terminology, either for their and no terminology, either for their feelings or their anatomy.” (1913)feelings or their anatomy.” (1913)

Womanhood and Womanhood and reproductionreproduction

Bearing children for nationBearing children for nation Exercise interferes with Exercise interferes with

reproductionreproduction Boys vs. girlsBoys vs. girls Spectatorship – class Spectatorship – class

FashionFashion

Body and sexualityBody and sexuality Women as moral arbitersWomen as moral arbiters Men must be controlledMen must be controlled Fashion and exercise/ sportFashion and exercise/ sport Bathing, bodiesBathing, bodies

Class, religion, fashion,and medicine

The BicycleThe Bicycle The split skirt – BloomersThe split skirt – Bloomers Public exercisePublic exercise Public relationshipsPublic relationships Exercise – criticsExercise – critics ““there is no reason to think a healthy there is no reason to think a healthy

woman can be injured [cycling]…woman can be injured [cycling]…provided she does not over-exert provided she does not over-exert herself by riding too long a time, or herself by riding too long a time, or too fast, or up too steep hills, and too fast, or up too steep hills, and provided she does not ride when provided she does not ride when common sense and physiology alike common sense and physiology alike forbid any needless exertion.”forbid any needless exertion.”

Anti-masturbation rhetoric

Resistance and ChangeResistance and Change

Education - Egerton RyersonEducation - Egerton Ryerson Boys and girlsBoys and girls

Indian Clubs

Frederick Barnjum – MontrealFrederick Barnjum – Montreal

What shall we say of girls who, by the What shall we say of girls who, by the conventional rules of society, are debarred from conventional rules of society, are debarred from taking more than the semblance of exercise. They taking more than the semblance of exercise. They have not the same opportunity for romping as have not the same opportunity for romping as boys. Poor little missie must walk home in the boys. Poor little missie must walk home in the most genteel manner possible, perhaps indulging most genteel manner possible, perhaps indulging in a softened laugh with some companion – her in a softened laugh with some companion – her arms carefully hugged to her sides, motion of the arms carefully hugged to her sides, motion of the lower extremities only being permitted , added to lower extremities only being permitted , added to which her poor little body is in all probability which her poor little body is in all probability forced in by one of those instruments of death forced in by one of those instruments of death called corsets, binding up the naughty muscles called corsets, binding up the naughty muscles that are begging and praying to be let loose and that are begging and praying to be let loose and have an opportunity of strengthening themselves, have an opportunity of strengthening themselves, and the young lady is considered to be in a highly and the young lady is considered to be in a highly satisfactory condition if she is pale and weak; but satisfactory condition if she is pale and weak; but no matter, it is the natural thing for girls to be no matter, it is the natural thing for girls to be weak…I do not hesitate to say that any young lady weak…I do not hesitate to say that any young lady placed under the care of an intelligent, well-placed under the care of an intelligent, well-educated teacher, cannot fail to attain a degree of educated teacher, cannot fail to attain a degree of health which otherwise she never would have health which otherwise she never would have dreamed of.dreamed of.

UniversitiesUniversities Men’s clubs Men’s clubs 1890s: golf, tennis, swimming, 1890s: golf, tennis, swimming,

basketballbasketball

Residual valuesResidual values

1935: “In some cases, basketball 1935: “In some cases, basketball can make too heavy a demand can make too heavy a demand on the organic vitality of a on the organic vitality of a growing girl…a great deal of the growing girl…a great deal of the excess energy is needed for the excess energy is needed for the physical changes which are physical changes which are naturally taking place.”naturally taking place.”

SummarySummary

Gender polarityGender polarity Social valuesSocial values MedicineMedicine ReligionReligion EducationEducation sexualitysexuality