Strażniczki normatywnej kobiecości? Analiza roli matek piłkarek nożnych w podtrzymywaniu upłciowionych relacji władzy w sporcie
Guardians of Normative Femininity? An Analysis of the Role of Female Footballers’ Mothers in Sustaining Gendered Power Relations in Sport

Summary/Abstract: Previous research shows that women athletes in “masculine” sports negotiate their femininity to conform to normative expectations while meeting the demands of the sport. However, the role of parents in shaping athletes’ femininity has received limited attention. Therefore, this article analyzes the opinions of Polish female football players regarding their mothers’ attitudes toward their participation in football in relation to socio-cultural norms of femininity. The study is based on 25 in-depth interviews with players in professional leagues. Drawing on theories by M. Schippers and P. H. Collins, the analysis examines maternal attitudes, identifying practices related to mothers’ concerns, care, and—less frequently—acceptance of their daughters’ participation in football. Concerns about involvement in a “masculine” sport were expressed through reluctance toward training, control over clothing, and anxiety about the masculinization of their daughters’ appearance and bodies. The findings further indicate that maternal care centered on fears of injury and reflected notions of femininity as delicacy. The study demonstrates that many mothers act as gatekeepers of normative femininity, contributing to the reproduction of gendered power relations in sport. Drawing on concepts such as pariah femininity and the matrix of domination, both the article highlights the complexity and consequences of constructing and challenging femininity in sport.

• Details
• Contents