Spain has become the first country in the world to officially recognize and promote Men’s Rhythmic Gymnastics. In light of the Spanish Gymnastics Federation’s recent initiative (Feb. 2009) this paper examines corporeality and sport identity in ways that reflect processes of change, in exploring the interrelation of social theories, international dialogue and anachronistic gender-based ideologies that established gender stereotypes in competitive sports. Subsequently, this paper presents a case study and discusses the official recognition of men’s rhythmic gymnastics (RG) by the Federation of International Gymnastics (FIG). Despite gender stereotypes that depict this Olympic sport as unacceptable for the image of masculinity, the male body aesthetic, including masculine gender role identity, the rising involvement of boys and men in this sport throughout the globe can no longer be ignored. Incontestably rhythmic gymnastics for men and boys is growing and how far it will go remains to be seen. The socially constructed and historically specific nature of physicality, corporeality and sport identity need to be renegotiated since exclusions based on genetic characteristics are a contradiction to the value system of sport. (Olympic Charter, rule2 par. 5, 7/7/2007) Keywords: gender-inclusive, gender fluidity, gender identity, corporeality, genetic personification, men’s rhythmic gymnastics..

Στη σημερινή μετανεωτερική ολυμπιακή πραγματικότητα, η χρήση αναχρονιστικών βιολογικών ‘δεδομένων’ ή βιολογίστικων θεωρήσεων (Sandow 1898, Möbius 1908, Coubertin 1912, Weininger 1917, Webster 1930, Pfister 1990), βάσει των οποίων θεσμοθετήθηκαν και δομήθηκαν οι έμφυλες ιεραρχίες στον αθλητισμό αμφισβητούνται και επαναπροσδιορίζονται. Σ’ ένα υπό εξέλιξη θεωρητικό διάλογο στην κοινωνική περιοχή του αθλητισμού και της φυσικής αγωγής, είναι ερευνητικά τεκμηριωμένο ότι το «ανήκειν σε ένα φύλο» είναι αποτέλεσμα πολλών και πολύπλοκων κοινωνικών διεργασιών—πέραν της βιολογικής διαφοράς (Hargreaves 2000, McNay 2000, Evans and Penney 2002, Kirk 2002, Heywood and Dworkin 2003, Χαραχούσου 2003, Creedon 2006, Messner & Raewyn 2007, McDonagh & Pappano 2007, Kamberidou 2007). Στις σύγχρονες συζητήσεις για το φύλο, το έμφυλο υποκείμενο (gendered subject) την έμφυλη ταυτότητα και το ανθρώπινο σώμα, το βιολογικό φύλο (sex) δεν αποτελεί αποκλειστική αναλυτική κατηγορία. Τη θέση του παίρνει το κοινωνικό φύλο (gender) το οποίο διαμορφώνει, προσδιορίζει και επαναπροσδιορίζει την ταυτότητα σύμφωνα με κοινωνικές-πολιτισμικές ερμηνείες και εξελίξεις (Λεοντσίνι 1996, McNay 2000, Μαλουτά 2002, Aitchison 2003, Kimmel 2004, Holmes 2007). Το νόημα του αγγλοσαξονικής προέλευσης όρου gender (φύλο/κοινωνικό φύλο), παραπέμπει στο κοινωνικό υποκείμενο. Ερμηνεύεται σε κοινωνικό-ιστορικό πλαίσιο και δεν αφορά μόνο τις γυναίκες. Έμφυλο υποκείμενο είναι και ο άνδρας... ... Cite as:Καμπερίδου, Ειρήνη (2009) Φύλο & Αθλητισμός. FYLOPAEDIA-Φύλο Παιδεία. Ηλεκτρονικό Εγκυκλοπαιδικό Λεξικό του Προγράμματος ΘΕ.ΦΥΛ.ΙΣ., Εθνικό και Καποδιστριακό Πανεπιστήμιο Αθηνών  www.thefylis.uoa.gr/fylopedia). Φύλο-Παιδεία  e-λεξικό, ΕΚΠΑ, http://www.fylopedia.uoa.gr/index.php?title=%CE%A6%CF%8D%CE%BB%CE%BF_%CE%BA%CE%B1%CE%B9_%CE%B1%CE%B8%CE%BB%CE%B7%CF%84%CE%B9%CF%83%CE%BC%CF%8C%CF%82 [τροποποιήθηκε τελευταία φορά στις 20:45, 22 Ιουλίου 2009: Αυτή η σελίδα έχει προσπελαστεί 2.345 φορές (τελευταία πρόσβαση 4/5/2015)

We began with discussions on what is gender, including a presentation of international dialogue on gender and the role of sport in addressing gender issues. Topics/lectures include: Doping and Gender, agency, the under-representation of women in competitive sports and in sport governing bodies (SGBs), the social gender and sport identity, the sport-gender imbalance, Women athletes in the mass media, genderless athletes, Olympism or peace education, underdevelopment of sport in developing countries, racism and xenophobia in sport, child exploitation and child protection in sport, gender and leadership skills, and so on. Gender refers to the socially-constructed roles of and relationships between men and women. Gender concerns men and women, including conceptions of both femininity and masculinity. The difference between ‘gender’ and ‘sex’ is that the latter refers only to biological differences as an analytical category. Gender does not mean focusing solely on women or females, but rather on the inequalities regarding both genders, and should not be confused with feminism or women’s studies. However, analyses of gender differences often show a socially disadvantaged and weaker position of women and girls in social, political, economic, legal, educational and sport issues. This is why there is a tendency for gender discussions and interventions to focus on correcting these imbalances by specifically targeting women and girls. More analytically with regard to the course content see links]............................................... _________________________________________________________________________________________-Initially, discussions on what is gender, presentation of international dialogue on gender and the role of sport in addressing gender issues. Topics/lectures include: Doping and Gender, agency, the under-representation of women in competitive sports and in sport governing bodies (SGBs), the social gender and sport identity, the sport-gender imbalance, Women athletes in the mass media, genderless athletes, Olympism or peace education, underdevelopment of sport in developing countries, racism and xenophobia in sport, child exploitation and child protection in sport, gender and leadership skills, and so on.   More analytically with regard to the course content see attachment........................................when citing: Kamberidou, I., & Karteroliotis, K. (2009). “Course Proposal for Postgraduate Interdisciplinary Education of Women”. Presentation at the international workshop of the project “Estia-Earth to Sustain Women’s Careers as Academics, Researchers and Professionals in Engineering, Computer and the. In “Estia-Earth to Sustain Women’s Careers as Academics, Researchers and Professionals in Engineering, Computer and the Sciences, Lifelong Learning Erasmus Network” (partner: Faculty of Physical Education and Sport Science, Athens Greece). "1st Expert Meeting “Development of MSc Programs” & Jointly the 3rd International steering Committee Meeting ESTIA-EARTH", Venue: Polytechnic University of Bucharest, Nov. 20-21, 2009. (www.estia.net).  DOI: 10.13140/RG.2.1.3256.0489V    

Create a hub for sharing knowledge (with regard to the “Development of MSc Programs) facilitating communication and coordination with students: Goal #1: Increase visibility and fostering/retaining partnerships.  Goal #2: Contribute to improving gender inclusive practices.  Goal #3: Encourage dialogue and partnerships and facilitate strategic alliance. Namely, a websites (safe and free of charge) that will help transform ‘classrooms’ into more collaborative and dynamic learning environments, allowing students to communicate with other students and teachers around the world. Additionally,  Proposed courses/or Directed Study: “Gender issues in sports” (offered by ESTIAEARTH partner, scient. responsible: Irene Kamberidou);  Proposed course/ or Directed Study: “Research Methods” (offered by ESTIAEARTH partner, Kostas Karteroliotis);   Directed Study: “Gender and technology (the anachronistic gender-science imbalance) from a sociological perspective.” (offered by ESTIA-EARTH partner, Irene Kamberidou); Proposed course or directed study: “Sport Sociology” offered by ESTIA-EARTH partner Nikolaos Patsantaras. FUTURE GOALS: Training the trainers/educating the educators** (see attached recommendations).   

1. Kamberidou, I. (2009). "The Anachronistic Gender-Sport Imbalance:  the Glass Escalator or, Beyond the Glass Escalator".  Proceedings (pp. 97-100, Abstract ID2332) of the 16th IAPESGW World Congress: Practice and Research in Physical Education and Sport in the spirit of Ubuntu, Stellenbosch, South Africa 16-19 July. Department of Biokinetics, Sport and Leisure Sciences, University of Pretoria, with patronage by ICSSPE. the_anachronistic_sport.gender_imbalance._south_africa.pdf world_congress_programme.pdf proceedings._congress.july_2009.pdf, page 97, Abstract ID 332.    -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

We've come a long way since the 1952 Helsinki Games, where women represented only 10 percent of the Olympic athletes. At the 2008 Olympics in Beijing women represented approximately 43 percent of the total athlete delegation, up from 41 percent in the Athens 2004 Olympics. However, the "glass escalator " (Kamberidou 2009; Williams 1992, 1995) is not yet gender inclusive since women are exceedingly under-represented in all sport governing bodies (SGBs), primarily in the executive bodies of national and international sport organizations and institutions, such as the IOC. Researchers argue that men ride up the " glass escalator " when they enter predominantly female professions, as opposed to women who confront the glass ceiling and the " sticky floor " (Kimmel 2004) when they enter predominantly male professions. Taking their gender privilege with them, men experience positive discrimination (the glass escalator) when they enter female dominated social spheres, in other words they are socialized, encouraged, supported and promoted up the ladder even faster than their female counterparts. The first part of this study examines to what extent gender personification, the structurally secured and enforced gender segregation system continues-extends beyond the competitive sport expression, defeating the advocated values of social equity. In exploring the interrelation of social theories, anachronistic biologistic approaches and gender-based ideologies that established gender stereotypes and gender segregation in competitive sports, this paper renegotiates sport identity and corporeality in ways that reflect the processes of change in the construction of new sport identities: e.g. gender fluidity, men's participation in women's sports, respect for diversity, normalizing bodies and identities, bionic athletes, 'naturality' versus artificiality, emerging technologies used to enhance performance in competitive sports. (Miah 2005, et al.) Current discussions on the gender subject, no longer focus exclusively on the biological gender (sex), as an analytical category, but on the social gender (Kimmel 2004, McNay 2000) which formulates, defines and redefines identity, according to evolving socio-cultural interpretations. In the new theoretical framework, gender identity and corporeality are being rediscovered and are under reconstruction, namely viewed as linguistic conceptions, socio-cultural manifestations, transformable meanings and evolving elements of change. Such an example is men's participation in rhythmic gymnastics (Tsopani et al. 2006, Kamberidou, Tsopani, Dallas, Patsantaras 2009), despite gender stereotypes that depict the sport as unacceptable for the image of masculinity, including the male body aesthetic. In light of the growing participation of men in the competitive sport of rhythmic gymnastics—on national and international levels— in Japan, Australia, Canada, the US, Russia, Greece and Italy,

Spain has become the first country in the world to officially recognize and promote Men’s Rhythmic Gymnastics. In light of the Spanish Gymnastics Federation’s recent initiative (Feb. 2009) this paper examines corporeality and sport identity in ways that reflect processes of change, in exploring the interrelation of social theories, international dialogue and anachronistic gender-based ideologies that established gender stereotypes in competitive sports. Subsequently, this paper presents a case study and discusses the official recognition of men’s rhythmic gymnastics (RG) by the Federation of International Gymnastics (FIG). Despite gender stereotypes that depict this Olympic sport as unacceptable for the image of masculinity, the male body aesthetic, including masculine gender role identity, the rising involvement of boys and men in this sport throughout the globe can no longer be ignored. Incontestably rhythmic gymnastics for men and boys is growing and how far it will go remains to be seen. The socially constructed and historically specific nature of physicality, corporeality and sport identity need to be renegotiated since exclusions based on genetic characteristics are a contradiction to the value system of sport. (Olympic Charter, rule2 par. 5, 7/7/2007) Keywords: gender-inclusive, gender fluidity, gender identity, corporeality, genetic personification, men’s rhythmic gymnastics

Spain has become the first country in the world to officially recognize and promote Men’s Rhythmic Gymnastics. In light of the Spanish Gymnastics Federation’s recent initiative (Feb. 2009) this paper examines corporeality and sport identity in ways that reflect processes of change, in exploring the interrelation of social theories, international dialogue and anachronistic gender-based ideologies that established gender stereotypes in competitive sports. Subsequently, this paper presents a case study and discusses the official recognition of men’s rhythmic gymnastics (RG) by the Federation of International Gymnastics (FIG). Despite gender stereotypes that depict this Olympic sport as unacceptable for the image of masculinity, the male body aesthetic, including masculine gender role identity, the rising involvement of boys and men in this sport throughout the globe can no longer be ignored. Incontestably rhythmic gymnastics for men and boys is growing and how far it will go remains to be seen. The socially constructed and historically specific nature of physicality, corporeality and sport identity need to be renegotiated since exclusions based on genetic characteristics are a contradiction to the value system of sport. (Olympic Charter, rule2 par. 5, 7/7/2007) Keywords: gender-inclusive, gender fluidity, gender identity, corporeality, genetic personification, men’s rhythmic gymnastics......................................................................

1. Kamberidou, Irene; Tsopani, Despina; Dallas, George and Patsantaras, Nikolaos (2009). A Question of Identity and Equality in Sports: Men's Participation in Men's Rythmic Gymnastics. NEBULA 6.4, a Journal of Multidisciplinary Scholarship Australia ISSN-1449 7751, 6(4), 220-237. Publisher's Version mens_rythmic_gymnastics.pdf  H.6 in Apella

    *** Republished – redistributed as: Kamberidou, I., Tsopani, D., Dallas, G., & Patsantaras, N. (2009). A Question of Identity and Equality in Sports: Men’s Participation in Men’s Rhythmic Gymnastics. The Routledge Falmer Reader in Gender and Education, 220–237.  H.6 in Apella