Connotations of female movement and meaning: The development of women's participation in the Olympic Games

摘要: The modern Olympic Games are the world’s largest sporting event, drawing more participants and attracting more spectators from diverse places worldwide than any other competition. also significant in that they highlight international competition for sportswomen. However, female Olympians have yet to achieve parity with male Olympians in respect number of participants or number of events. Long excluded many sports within Games, women not had equal opportunity pursue the motto Citius, Altius, Fortius (Faster, Higher, Stronger). In this article we extend now largely accepted political accounts women’s restricted Olympic by offering a nuanced sociological explanation the slow increase female participation evolution new sport forms summer Olympic Games. Our combines insights Eleanor Metheny and Pierre Bourdieu concerning connotations movement meaning sport for females, highlights relationship between embodiment empowerment in practices. We follow John Hargreaves who contends that body constitutes “most striking symbol” “core activity” as well “a major site social struggles” around power gender.1