Strong and Hard Women

by Tanya Bunsell

Females with large muscles evoke strong reactions from men and women, often involving disgust, discomfort, anger and threat. The controversial nature of female bodybuilding has caused a significant rupture on feminist ground. Whilst proponents claim that female bodybuilding is a way of empowering and liberating women, others see it as a form of corporeal entrapment. This book investigates the controversy. Do women who pump iron resist physical restrictions of imposed femininity, or are they engaged in an ultimately oppressive quest for ‘perfect bodies’? In an original two year ethnographic study based in the South of England, Tanya Bunsell immersed herself into the world of female bodybuilders. By mapping these extraordinary women’s lives, the research illuminates the pivotal spaces and essential lived experiences that make up the female bodybuilder. Whilst the women appear to be embarking on an ‘empowering’ radical body project for themselves, the consequences of their activity remains culturally ambivalent. This research exposes the ‘Janus-faced’ nature of female bodybuilding, exploring the ways in which the women negotiate, accommodate and resist pressures to engage in more orthodox and feminine activities and appearances. This book will be of interest to academics and students in the fields of gender studies, the sociology of sport, the body and research methodology.

Genres: Nonfiction

200 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2013

Reviews

[Mayryott · Rating 2 out of 5]

弃…因为Sally的案子想多了解健美文化里的女性就找来看了。前面引用了强制异性恋的内容让我以为她想讲健美文化里女同性恋的困境，结果开始说自己身为异性恋女性因为被一些男的说像个男的不适合做爱而委屈（所以引用和论证之间的逻辑是？）。还认为将健美女性与男性摔跤的场景当作色情奇观以满足男性性幻想是合理的，理由是“反抗霸权、反抗主流对性偏好的病理化”，算是忽略结构性问题以模糊重点吗？关键不是在病理化上做道德判断啊，而是女性被简化成一个性幻想符号，而非一个复杂的主体。而且真的反抗霸权了吗，那请问这种色情奇观最初是由什么性别提出的需求，最终又爽了什么性别呢？作者呈现了女权对健美文化的不同观点，但当讨论它对女性的消极影响时（比如在低自尊感、控制身体等方面与厌食症类似），却模糊带过…我的姥天，我在看啥呢。

[Mills College Library]

796.41082 B9427 2013