Non-motherhood and motherhood in sport: Entangled relations of care

Loading...
Thumbnail Image
File version

Accepted Manuscript (AM)

Author(s)
O’Brien, W
Pavlidis, A
Griffith University Author(s)
Primary Supervisor
Other Supervisors
Editor(s)

Spowart, Lucy

McGannon, Kerry R

Date
2022
Size
File type(s)
Location
License
Abstract

In this chapter, we explore the relations of care that are entangled with the material-discursive relations of motherhood, women, and sport. Through our feminist new materialist approach, we explore how motherhood is valorised, and entangled with infrastructures of care, such as mentoring, or other gendered roles in clubs that are tied up with motherhood. Drawing on Barad's notion of diffraction as a methodology, along with post-qualitative inquiry, we explore these relations of care, through our writings as two sportswomen, one a mother (Adele) and one a non-mother (Wendy). Diffracting our stories through popular tropes we ask, what do notions of sacrifice, guilt, privilege, and criticism do in relation to non-mothers and mothers in their sporting experience? We argue that if we hold onto the notion of sacrifice, for example, mothers putting their participation on hold, then we risk perpetuating sport inequalities. Our research also highlights that there are many women athletes, who are not mothers, either by choice or not, and we need to be sensitive to these differences when researching mothers in sport. Womanhood and motherhood are often conflated, but are not the same.

Journal Title
Conference Title
Book Title

Motherhood and Sport: Collective Stories of Identity and Difference

Edition

1st

Volume
Issue
Thesis Type
Degree Program
School
Publisher link
Patent number
Funder(s)
Grant identifier(s)
Rights Statement
Rights Statement

© 2022 Taylor & Francis. This is an Accepted Manuscript of a book chapter published by Routledge in Motherhood and Sport: Collective Stories of Identity and Difference on 5 August 2022, available online: https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003140757

Item Access Status
Note
Access the data
Related item(s)
Subject

Sociology of gender

Sport and leisure management

Feminist methodologies

Persistent link to this record
Citation

O’Brien, W; Pavlidis, A, Non-motherhood and motherhood in sport: Entangled relations of care, Motherhood and Sport: Collective Stories of Identity and Difference, 2022, pp. 48-61

Collections