Abstract
M.A. (Sociology)
This study explores how the members of the C-Max Roller Derby League, based in Johannesburg, South Africa, construct their gender identities. Previous research has shown that roller derby impacts on how skaters construct their gendered selves, empowering them as women and athletes. This study adds to the understanding of the impact of roller derby, a context in which there is a dichotomy between masculinity and femininity, on the gender identities of participants. A qualitative approach was employed, using in-depth interviews and observation, in order to understand participants’ views on their participation in roller derby and how it consequently shapes their notions and experiences of gender. The study found that roller derby is a contested space in which the need to create an alternative environment for women is being penetrated by normative gendered notions of sporting behaviour. Despite the fact that roller derby is thought to be a context in which alternate gender arrangements exist, the findings show that patriarchal ideals continue to influence the women who participate in roller derby and that normative gender arrangements persist and dictate how gender is constructed and performed. The study also shows that, within the context of roller derby, femininity is expressed in a multiplicity of ways and that there is a constant interplay between expressions of masculinity and femininity. Finally, the research found that female skaters continue to struggle to establish their legitimacy as athletes within the male-dominated sporting domain of South Africa.