Questions in feminist philosophy of sport: looking back to see ahead

Abstract

Almost 40 years ago, Victoria Davion declared herself ‘disturbed by a common view among feminist thinkers regarding competition’, the view that competition is ‘an evil which must be eliminated’ (1987, 55). Davion’s view is worth revisiting, as she was one of the first feminists to suggest that competitors can be viewed simultaneously as partners as well as rivals. Thirty years after Davion’s article appeared in Hypatia, the line of thought she suggested was expanded by Colleen English, who argued that competition can be rehabilitated to eliminate the problematic hypermasculine aspects by reconceptualizing it as a non-zero-sum endeavor, broadening the definition of winning to include instances of effort and improvement. After showing that good feminists can, in fact, compete, I turn to the question of what that competition should look like. Specifically, I examine whether competition in sport should be sex-segregated or mixed. A review of feminist responses to this question leads to the suggestion that sex-segregated competition, for most sports, should be maintained, at least for the current moment. I then ask how women athletes ought to comport themselves in competition, looking to feminists who argue that disciplinary practices of femininity govern women’s lives. I argue that these claims can be extended into the arena of sports, picking up additional pressures on women to emphasize their femininity while engaging in a stereotypical male activity. This last point is elaborated through reference to various answers to the question of what it is to be a woman and an athlete. I close with the important reminder that there is no single coherent definition of ‘woman’. Thus, our conclusions must always be for the most part and for the current moment.