Ladies in armour : a phenomenological investigation of experiences of highly skilled Finnish female kendo athletes

2013

Women in sports have historically been marginalised. Feminist studies have revealed a struggle to balance athletic and feminine identities in “conventionally masculine” sports. However, there is a need to explore women's experiences in a variety of sports. Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis was used to explore the experiences of three highly skilled Finnish female athletes of Japanese kendo in order to better understand personal and social meanings of gender and sport. Participants were asked to write a personal story based on a prompt statement “A woman in kendo” and comment on other participant's stories. The data was then interpreted and the following broad themes emerged: personal…