Beauty in Strength: Discourse and Determinants of Body Image among Female Athletes at Haverford College
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2018
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Haverford College. Department of Anthropology
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Thesis
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Award
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eng
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Bi-College users only
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Abstract
Body image, or the mental perception of one’s own body, is shaped by external influences including, but not limited to: media, family and peer pressure, and cultural norms. The interactions between these influences constitute a social framework in which certain body types are deemed more acceptable, valuable, and beautiful than others. Within this framework, athletic bodies are often held up as a standard and an aspiration, yet those with conventionally “athletic” bodies often struggle to find pride in their figures, despite this supposed glorification. This thesis explores how female college athletes are caught between the physical demands of their sports, which require them to have muscular bodies, and traditional notions of femininity and gender norms, which insist that females be noticeably thin, often to an unhealthy extreme. Through interviews with nine female athletes at Haverford College, this thesis examines factors that shape Haverford College female athletes' body image, considers aspects of their experiences that may be unique to Haverford, and places their thoughts and experiences in a broader national discourse on body image.