Robinson, Lynne Elizabeth (1996) 'Tripping daintily into the arena' : a social history of English women's athletics 1921-1960. PhD thesis, University of Warwick.

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Abstract

Sport has been the subject of an increasing amount of academic work in
recent years but few texts cover women in any great depth. The history
of their participation in the twentieth century, the obstacles they faced,
and the support they received, needs to be studied in detail. This thesis
addresses these questions, and contributes to the small but growing
body of literature that places sporting women at the centre of research.
It is a unique piece of work, which is solely concerned with the social
history of women's athletics in England, from the establishment of the
sport in 1921 until 1960.
It is a common perception that few women were active in physical
sports in the early twentieth century. However, this research 'has shown
that that is an incorrect view. While there were not so many women
involved as men, women's athletics was a thriving sport and one that
was quickly established. It will be also be argued that there was greater
male support than has previously been accepted. Nevertheless,
opposition remained a powerful influence, and evidence of this will be
presented throughout this thesis.
The research has centred on the minutes of the Women's Amateur
Athletic Association. Area association records were studied, as were
some from individual athletic clubs and various committees that the
WAAA was represented on. These are all resources that have not been
previously analysed in detail, or indeed in some cases at all. Oral
interviews provided information about club life, competition, and why
certain individuals became involved in the sport. The resources have
enabled an in-depth study of both the domestic side of the sport and
English women's participation at international level.

Item Type:	Thesis (PhD)
Subjects:	G Geography. Anthropology. Recreation > GV Recreation Leisure
Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH):	Women track and field athletes -- England -- History -- 20th century, Track and field for women -- England -- History -- 20th century
Official Date:	September 1996
Dates:	Date Event September 1996 Submitted
Institution:	University of Warwick
Theses Department:	Department of Social History
Thesis Type:	PhD
Publication Status:	Unpublished
Supervisor(s)/Advisor:	Mason, Tony, 1938-
Sponsors:	University of Warwick. Dept. of Social History ; Economic and Social Research Council (Great Britain) (ESRC)
Extent:	vii, 385 leaves
Language:	eng

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