Open Play: The Case for Feminist Sport

Coauthors Bekker (health, Univ. of Bath) and Mumford (philosophy, Durham Univ.; A Philosopher Looks at Sport) who are co-leads of the Feminist Sport Lab, begin their book with an intriguing reframing: women can achieve any athletic feat men can; they’re simply reaching these milestones a few years later down the evolutionary road than men because of a combination of social and biological factors. The authors emphasize how a feminist approach to sport can shatter myths and break down barriers, on fields and at gyms, but also far beyond. They recognize individual women athletes’ efforts at challenging narratives and suggest that in these moments of victory, whether of teams triumphing on the global stage or individuals breaking records in gender-neutral events (e.g., ultramarathons), assumptions about human performance turn out to be the losers.