“Skankalicious”: Erotic Capital in Women's Flat Track Roller Derby

ABSTRACT

Erotic capital refers to the use of sexuality for personal gain and has been theorized as a particular source of power (some) women can leverage to advance their interests (Hakim, 2011). With its overt sexuality, women's roller derby provides an ideal opportunity to investigate erotic capital. Locating erotic capital within a specific time, space, and context, I draw upon third-wave feminism and use in-depth conversational interviews and participant observation to reveal ways “derby girls” perform their sexuality and use it to advance their collective and individual interests. This analysis introduces erotic capital to the leisure literature and demonstrates the intentionality of women's resistance to, and reproduction of, gendered stereotypes, particularly with respect to sexuality. In so doing, the findings highlight a need for rethinking traditional conceptualizations of empowerment whereby resistance equals empowering and reproduction equals disempowering, and initiates a new direction for feminist scholarship in this regard.

KEYWORDS:

• empowerment
• sexual capital
• sport
• third wave feminism

Notes

1 Women's Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA) rules now stipulate only one start whistle to start the game, plus grabbing opponents and elbowing are illegal moves.