Open Play

The Case for Feminist Sport

Sheree Bekker, Stephen Mumford

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Hardback

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English

Reaktion Books
01 February 2025

Feminism & feminist theory; Gender studies, gender groups; Sports & outdoor recreation

'Open Play challenges the patriarchal system that has dictated women's participation in sport around the world...

This book is not just a must-read

it should become foundational in the future of women's sport from the grassroots to professional levels.'

Flo Lloyd-Hughes, sports writer and broadcaster

Sheree Bekker and Stephen Mumford argue that the category of 'women's sport' is not the feminist win some would have you believe. Instead, the segregation of women in sport is just one of the many ways in which women are told to expect less from society. Women had to fight to be included in sport in the first place, and are now only included under far less favourable terms than those enjoyed by men. There are better ways to ensure safety and fairness than segregation by gender. And this matters deeply: ending gender segregation would encourage a more equitable distribution of resources, increase women's participation in sport and challenge outdated, sexist myths about women and their bodies.

By: Sheree Bekker, Stephen Mumford
Imprint: Reaktion Books
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions: Height: 216mm, Width: 138mm,
ISBN: 9781836390534
ISBN 10: 183639053X
Pages: 176
Publication Date: 01 February 2025
Audience: General/trade , ELT Advanced
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active

Preface 1. The Sports Bra 2. Sport is a Feminist Issue 3. Policing Women’s Sport 4. Being in Your Body 5. Beyond the Binary 6. The Future of Feminist Sport Afterword References Further Reading Acknowledgements

Sheree Bekker is Associate Professor in the Department for Health at the University of Bath. Her work centres on feminist perspectives in sport and she is co-lead of the Feminist Sport Lab. Stephen Mumford is a philosopher at Durham University. His many books include Football: The Philosophy Behind the Game (2019) and A Philosopher Looks at Sport (2021), and he is also co-lead of the Feminist Sport Lab.

Reviews for Open Play: The Case for Feminist Sport

""Imagine a world where anyone was free to reach their full potential playing the sport they love; where open competition replaced discrimination and exclusion, and where athletes were judged by their performances on the field rather than their conformity with gender norms. Bekker and Mumford show us how to get there, and how far we have to go. This courageous book should spark a revolution in sport.""--Caster Semenya ""Open Play is a necessary intervention in the contentious discussion over women, gender, and sport. Bekker and Mumford immerse us in the realities of 'women's sport' and convincingly make the case for a new 'feminist sport.'""--Agustin Fuentes, professor of anthropology, Princeton University ""Sport has been in desperate need of a fresh, nuanced approach to gender, one which has women, nonbinary, and trans people at its core. Open Play challenges the patriarchal system that has dictated women's participation in sport around the world. Its philosophy is simple yet revolutionary amongst the status quo of so-called 'feminist' approaches to sport. This book is not just a must-read, it should become foundational in the future of women's sport from the grassroots to professional levels.""--Flo Lloyd-Hughes, sports writer and broadcaster