Gendered body ideals in Swedish competitive youth swimming: negotiating and shifting symbolic boundaries

Abstract

This article explores how gendered body ideals are constructed and negotiated among 12 competitive youth swimmers in three Swedish clubs. Of particular interest are the ways boys and girls negotiate body ideals inside and outside of swimming contexts and how they shift gendered symbolic boundaries. The paper is framed by gender theory, and it draws on concepts of sport culture and social culture as well as symbolic boundaries. Interpretative repertoires were analysed to explore the language use in swimmers’ conversations related to the body and body ideals. Data were produced through interviews with competitive youth swimmers. My findings show that both girls and boys negotiate body ideals. The functional body was an interpretative repertoire important in the negotiations and shifting of gendered boundaries between the athletic body in sports and the aesthetic body in society. Swimmers also used an interpretative repertoire of similarity to negotiate symbolic gender boundaries. Furthermore, both identifying with a group and being accepted in that group are suggested to be important factors involved in shifting symbolic boundaries.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Notes

1. The prize is instituted in memory of the reporter Sven Jerring. Every year since 1979, an athlete has been awarded for the best Swedish sport performance.