Caroline Symons - Academia.edu (original) (raw)
Papers by Caroline Symons
... 1 Gender, sexuality and sport Sport is still considered one of the central shapers of masculi... more ... 1 Gender, sexuality and sport Sport is still considered one of the central shapers of masculinity in present-day Western society (Bryson 1987: 34960; Connell 1987; Dunning 1986: 7990; Duppert 1979; Hargreaves 1994; Messner and Sabo 1990; Nelson 1994; Pronger 1990). ...
BMC Public Health, Nov 8, 2016
Background: Body dissatisfaction is associated with a range of adverse outcomes, including impair... more Background: Body dissatisfaction is associated with a range of adverse outcomes, including impaired psychological health, low physical activity and disordered eating. This longitudinal study used the Factors Influencing Transitions in Girls' Active Leisure and Sport (FITGALS) dataset to examine trends in body image of adolescent females. Specifically, the study examined satisfaction with body size, physical appearance and dieting behaviour for two cohorts at transitional life phases in two geographic regions longitudinally over a 3-year period. Methods: A sample of 732 adolescent females in Grade 7 (n = 489, 66.8 %) and Grade 11 (n = 243, 33.2 %) at randomly selected Australian metropolitan and non-metropolitan secondary schools responded to a questionnaire in three successive years from 2008 to 2010. Participants reported perceptions about their body size and physical appearance and whether they were, or ought to be, on a diet. The data were analysed using a series of longitudinal logistic regression models. Results: Dieting and dissatisfaction with body size significantly increased over time and more so for older than younger girls. Region significantly moderated the effect of grade level regarding dissatisfaction with body size but not dieting. In non-metropolitan regions, those in the younger cohort were significantly more likely to be dissatisfied with their body size than the older cohort; whereas in metropolitan regions, those in the older cohort were significantly more likely to be dissatisfied with their body size than the younger cohort. Adolescent female's perceptions of their appearance were unchanged over time, region and grade level. Conclusions: Differences across time, region and grade level were found among adolescent females on body size and dieting behaviour, but not physical appearance. Adolescent females experience early and increasing body size dissatisfaction and dieting as they age, but stable perceptions of physical appearance. Age and geographic region are important considerations for the timing and targeting of interventions to address body image concerns. Further investigation of regional differences in body image perceptions and factors that affect these is warranted. The findings of this study highlight the ongoing need for strategies during adolescence to promote a healthy appreciation of body size and appearance.
This report has been prepared by ISEAL on behalf of Cricket Victoria and Cricket Australia. The i... more This report has been prepared by ISEAL on behalf of Cricket Victoria and Cricket Australia. The information contained in this report is intended for specific use by Cricket Victoria and Cricket Australia and may not be used by any other organisation for any other project without the permission of ISEAL. All recommendations identified by ISEAL are based on information provided by Cricket Victoria and Cricket Australia with input from staff, community participants and players. ISEAL has relied on this information to be correct at the time this report was prepared.
Cambridge Scholars Publishing eBooks, May 1, 2014
Sporting traditions, Nov 1, 2008
Review(s) of: The ties that bind: A history of sport at the University of Melbourne, by J. E. Sen... more Review(s) of: The ties that bind: A history of sport at the University of Melbourne, by J. E. Senyard, Walla Walla Press, Petersham, 2004, pp. x + 479, illus., $50.00.
European Physical Education Review, Apr 7, 2015
In light of the importance attributed to the presence of positive role models in promoting physic... more In light of the importance attributed to the presence of positive role models in promoting physical activity during adolescence, this study examined role models of adolescent girls and their influence on physical activity. Seven hundred and thirty two girls in Years 7 and 11 from metropolitan and non-metropolitan regions of Victoria, Australia, were surveyed regarding whether they had a role model (in general, not limited to sport), and if they did, the gender, age, type and sporting background of that individual. Participants were also asked about the amount of physical activity they did. Descriptive statistics and a series of generalised estimating equations, one-way ANOVAs and a chi-square analysis were conducted to analyse the data. The majority of participants nominated a family member, peer or celebrity sportsperson as their role model who was female, played sport and was less than 50 years of age. Non-metropolitan-based adolescent girls, and Year 11 adolescent girls, were more likely to select a role model who they knew played sport than metropolitan-based adolescent girls and Year 7 girls respectively. In the first two years of the study girls whose role models played sport were significantly more physically active than girls whose role models did not play sport. It is recommended that family members, peers and sports people are included as role models in programmes designed to increase physical activity.
Lynne Rienner Publishers eBooks, Feb 1, 2013
Routledge eBooks, Jul 12, 2020
This thesis is the first comprehensive social history of the intemational Gay Games from its ince... more This thesis is the first comprehensive social history of the intemational Gay Games from its inception in 1980 up until 2002. These Games have become one of the largest sporting, cultural and human rights events in the world, as well as the largest intemational participatory gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, queer and intersex event (GLBTQI), Five Gay Games are examined including: the first two Gay Games held in San Francisco in 1982 and 1986; the third held in Vancouver in 1990; the fourth held in New York in 1994 and the fifth held in Amsterdam in 1998. Particular attention is paid to the ways that gender, sexuality, sport and community are played out within this history of the Games. Three historical research methods are used. These are archival and document analysis, oral history interviewing and the examination of secondary sources. Participant observation is also used to supplement historical understanding of the Amsterdam Gay Games. Each Gay Games has been contextualised within broader social histories of relevant mainstream communities and GLBTQI communities, and social and theoretical understandings of gender and sexuality. The results indicate that while the Gay Games have had a significant community building effect amongst gay and lesbian people, there still exists lively tension between the Gay Games assimilative tendencies and its transformative promise.
The Entertainment and Sports Law Journal, Jun 27, 2016
The Gay Games is firmly established on the contemporary global sports calendar, but is seldom can... more The Gay Games is firmly established on the contemporary global sports calendar, but is seldom canvassed in mainstream sports media, or considered a model for sports administrators. This is regrettable, as the Games' ethos offers many clues into the relationships between individual and communal empowerment for homosexual and heterosexual participants alike, while providing a site of resistance against entrenched norms of elitism, nationalism, victory and record-breaking indicative of the modern Olympic movement. Credit for this inclusive ethos rests with the vision of inaugural Gay Games organiser Dr. Tom Waddell. Drawing on Games archives, this paper outlines Waddell's vision, then discusses the impact of a protracted legal dispute instigated by the United States Olympic Committee in 1982 over the use of the term 'Olympics' in association with Gay Games I and II. Four United States Federal court rulings are examined, with particular reference to the contrasting hierarchy of private intellectual property and public civil rights considered under United States law of the time. Domestic and international legacies of the dispute are also briefly examined, focusing on the inherent tensions between the state-sanctioned protection of Olympic terminology, the ideals of free speech, the ownership of common sporting terms, and the potential discriminatory effects of selective trademark enforcement. The paper concludes with a brief discussion of how Waddell's vision superseded each of these legal technicalities to ensure the Games continues to provide a viable model for inclusive and engaged participation for all people. DR TOM WADDELL'S OLYMPIC VISION Like many global multi-sports events the Gay Games have been significantly influenced by the mystique, hype and ritual of the modern Olympic Games (MacAloon, 1984, pp. 249-251). Just recall any past international sports championships such as a world athletic championship or Commonwealth Games. Practically all have an opening ceremony with a parade of athletes, a formal oath sworn by officials and competitors, speeches by various dignitaries, a torch or baton relay culminating at the main venue and various other symbolic gestures. These rituals and ceremonial trappings are all derived from the Olympic model. The Olympics, as well as the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) football World Cup, have become the most known, watched, romanticised, revered, commercialised, mediatised, nationalistic, passionately followed, and critiqued mega sporting events (Real, 1996). 1 The power of this Olympic 'dreaming' was evident from the inception of the Gay Olympic Games, when Tom Waddell, Paul Mart and Mark Brown formed the United States Gay Olympic Committee in the late 1970s (Waddell and Schaap, 1996, p. 146). A medical professional by trade and decathlete for the United States (US) at the Mexico Olympics, Waddell was the key 'inventor, architect and all-year worker for the Gay Olympics' (IOC et al v. SFAA et al # 1, 1982, p. 24). Waddell's intention to mirror the Olympic dream was evident in the naming, ceremonies and rituals planned for this alternative event. The Gay Olympic Committee, later reconstituted as San Francisco Arts and Athletics (SFAA), wore ceremonial suits and ties of blue, white and red that looked very similar to those of the United States Olympic Committee (USOC). There was also a parade of athletes, a Games oath, and the singing of the US national anthem planned for the inaugural event. Organisers even arranged a 4,000-mile torch relay originating from the Stonewall Inn, New York, carried by over 2,000 runners, walkers and cyclists through over 50 cities in the US, culminating with the lighting of the Gay Games flame at the opening ceremony (Ayer Wood, 1982, p. 32). Waddell sought to bring to the gay and lesbian communities of the world what he saw as the health promoting powers of sports participation and community building associated with a major event accessible to all, while proving to mainstream society that gay people played sport 'like everybody else'. 2 For Waddell, enjoying and excelling in sport was not incompatible with being gay. In fact, sports participation was an important forum for gay men to demonstrate their masculine identity. Waddell apparently developed the idea for a Gay Olympics after viewing televised coverage of a gay men's bowling tournament in 1980. He was impressed because 'the competitors were strong and skilful athletes, clearly bowlers first and gay second', representing the everyday middle class professional who 'voted, ate out, bowled and played softball and rooted for the 49ers. They were not flamboyantly lusting for attention' (Waddell and Schaap, 1996, pp. 145-149). In the promotional brochures of the first Gay Olympic Games,
BMC sports science, medicine & rehabilitation, 2017
This study investigated the perceived influence of a Healthy Welcoming Environment (HWE) on parti... more This study investigated the perceived influence of a Healthy Welcoming Environment (HWE) on participation in sports clubs among adolescent girls, and how these perceptions changed longitudinally. HWE was defined in terms of a set of health promotion policies advocated by a health promotion foundation as the basis of sport club health promotion practice to promote structural reform in state sporting organisations and their affiliated associations and clubs. These included sports injury prevention, smoke-free, responsible serving of alcohol, sun protection, healthy eating, and welcoming and inclusive environments. Year 7 and 11 female students from metropolitan (n = 17) and non-metropolitan secondary schools (n = 14) in Australia were invited to participate in three annual surveys. These surveys collected information about current or past membership of a sports club and the influence of HWEs on their decision to participate (or not) in a sports club. Year 7 (n = 328; 74.5%) and Year 1...
Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport, 2011
... 1 Gender, sexuality and sport Sport is still considered one of the central shapers of masculi... more ... 1 Gender, sexuality and sport Sport is still considered one of the central shapers of masculinity in present-day Western society (Bryson 1987: 34960; Connell 1987; Dunning 1986: 7990; Duppert 1979; Hargreaves 1994; Messner and Sabo 1990; Nelson 1994; Pronger 1990). ...
BMC Public Health, Nov 8, 2016
Background: Body dissatisfaction is associated with a range of adverse outcomes, including impair... more Background: Body dissatisfaction is associated with a range of adverse outcomes, including impaired psychological health, low physical activity and disordered eating. This longitudinal study used the Factors Influencing Transitions in Girls' Active Leisure and Sport (FITGALS) dataset to examine trends in body image of adolescent females. Specifically, the study examined satisfaction with body size, physical appearance and dieting behaviour for two cohorts at transitional life phases in two geographic regions longitudinally over a 3-year period. Methods: A sample of 732 adolescent females in Grade 7 (n = 489, 66.8 %) and Grade 11 (n = 243, 33.2 %) at randomly selected Australian metropolitan and non-metropolitan secondary schools responded to a questionnaire in three successive years from 2008 to 2010. Participants reported perceptions about their body size and physical appearance and whether they were, or ought to be, on a diet. The data were analysed using a series of longitudinal logistic regression models. Results: Dieting and dissatisfaction with body size significantly increased over time and more so for older than younger girls. Region significantly moderated the effect of grade level regarding dissatisfaction with body size but not dieting. In non-metropolitan regions, those in the younger cohort were significantly more likely to be dissatisfied with their body size than the older cohort; whereas in metropolitan regions, those in the older cohort were significantly more likely to be dissatisfied with their body size than the younger cohort. Adolescent female's perceptions of their appearance were unchanged over time, region and grade level. Conclusions: Differences across time, region and grade level were found among adolescent females on body size and dieting behaviour, but not physical appearance. Adolescent females experience early and increasing body size dissatisfaction and dieting as they age, but stable perceptions of physical appearance. Age and geographic region are important considerations for the timing and targeting of interventions to address body image concerns. Further investigation of regional differences in body image perceptions and factors that affect these is warranted. The findings of this study highlight the ongoing need for strategies during adolescence to promote a healthy appreciation of body size and appearance.
This report has been prepared by ISEAL on behalf of Cricket Victoria and Cricket Australia. The i... more This report has been prepared by ISEAL on behalf of Cricket Victoria and Cricket Australia. The information contained in this report is intended for specific use by Cricket Victoria and Cricket Australia and may not be used by any other organisation for any other project without the permission of ISEAL. All recommendations identified by ISEAL are based on information provided by Cricket Victoria and Cricket Australia with input from staff, community participants and players. ISEAL has relied on this information to be correct at the time this report was prepared.
Cambridge Scholars Publishing eBooks, May 1, 2014
Sporting traditions, Nov 1, 2008
Review(s) of: The ties that bind: A history of sport at the University of Melbourne, by J. E. Sen... more Review(s) of: The ties that bind: A history of sport at the University of Melbourne, by J. E. Senyard, Walla Walla Press, Petersham, 2004, pp. x + 479, illus., $50.00.
European Physical Education Review, Apr 7, 2015
In light of the importance attributed to the presence of positive role models in promoting physic... more In light of the importance attributed to the presence of positive role models in promoting physical activity during adolescence, this study examined role models of adolescent girls and their influence on physical activity. Seven hundred and thirty two girls in Years 7 and 11 from metropolitan and non-metropolitan regions of Victoria, Australia, were surveyed regarding whether they had a role model (in general, not limited to sport), and if they did, the gender, age, type and sporting background of that individual. Participants were also asked about the amount of physical activity they did. Descriptive statistics and a series of generalised estimating equations, one-way ANOVAs and a chi-square analysis were conducted to analyse the data. The majority of participants nominated a family member, peer or celebrity sportsperson as their role model who was female, played sport and was less than 50 years of age. Non-metropolitan-based adolescent girls, and Year 11 adolescent girls, were more likely to select a role model who they knew played sport than metropolitan-based adolescent girls and Year 7 girls respectively. In the first two years of the study girls whose role models played sport were significantly more physically active than girls whose role models did not play sport. It is recommended that family members, peers and sports people are included as role models in programmes designed to increase physical activity.
Lynne Rienner Publishers eBooks, Feb 1, 2013
Routledge eBooks, Jul 12, 2020
This thesis is the first comprehensive social history of the intemational Gay Games from its ince... more This thesis is the first comprehensive social history of the intemational Gay Games from its inception in 1980 up until 2002. These Games have become one of the largest sporting, cultural and human rights events in the world, as well as the largest intemational participatory gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, queer and intersex event (GLBTQI), Five Gay Games are examined including: the first two Gay Games held in San Francisco in 1982 and 1986; the third held in Vancouver in 1990; the fourth held in New York in 1994 and the fifth held in Amsterdam in 1998. Particular attention is paid to the ways that gender, sexuality, sport and community are played out within this history of the Games. Three historical research methods are used. These are archival and document analysis, oral history interviewing and the examination of secondary sources. Participant observation is also used to supplement historical understanding of the Amsterdam Gay Games. Each Gay Games has been contextualised within broader social histories of relevant mainstream communities and GLBTQI communities, and social and theoretical understandings of gender and sexuality. The results indicate that while the Gay Games have had a significant community building effect amongst gay and lesbian people, there still exists lively tension between the Gay Games assimilative tendencies and its transformative promise.
The Entertainment and Sports Law Journal, Jun 27, 2016
The Gay Games is firmly established on the contemporary global sports calendar, but is seldom can... more The Gay Games is firmly established on the contemporary global sports calendar, but is seldom canvassed in mainstream sports media, or considered a model for sports administrators. This is regrettable, as the Games' ethos offers many clues into the relationships between individual and communal empowerment for homosexual and heterosexual participants alike, while providing a site of resistance against entrenched norms of elitism, nationalism, victory and record-breaking indicative of the modern Olympic movement. Credit for this inclusive ethos rests with the vision of inaugural Gay Games organiser Dr. Tom Waddell. Drawing on Games archives, this paper outlines Waddell's vision, then discusses the impact of a protracted legal dispute instigated by the United States Olympic Committee in 1982 over the use of the term 'Olympics' in association with Gay Games I and II. Four United States Federal court rulings are examined, with particular reference to the contrasting hierarchy of private intellectual property and public civil rights considered under United States law of the time. Domestic and international legacies of the dispute are also briefly examined, focusing on the inherent tensions between the state-sanctioned protection of Olympic terminology, the ideals of free speech, the ownership of common sporting terms, and the potential discriminatory effects of selective trademark enforcement. The paper concludes with a brief discussion of how Waddell's vision superseded each of these legal technicalities to ensure the Games continues to provide a viable model for inclusive and engaged participation for all people. DR TOM WADDELL'S OLYMPIC VISION Like many global multi-sports events the Gay Games have been significantly influenced by the mystique, hype and ritual of the modern Olympic Games (MacAloon, 1984, pp. 249-251). Just recall any past international sports championships such as a world athletic championship or Commonwealth Games. Practically all have an opening ceremony with a parade of athletes, a formal oath sworn by officials and competitors, speeches by various dignitaries, a torch or baton relay culminating at the main venue and various other symbolic gestures. These rituals and ceremonial trappings are all derived from the Olympic model. The Olympics, as well as the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) football World Cup, have become the most known, watched, romanticised, revered, commercialised, mediatised, nationalistic, passionately followed, and critiqued mega sporting events (Real, 1996). 1 The power of this Olympic 'dreaming' was evident from the inception of the Gay Olympic Games, when Tom Waddell, Paul Mart and Mark Brown formed the United States Gay Olympic Committee in the late 1970s (Waddell and Schaap, 1996, p. 146). A medical professional by trade and decathlete for the United States (US) at the Mexico Olympics, Waddell was the key 'inventor, architect and all-year worker for the Gay Olympics' (IOC et al v. SFAA et al # 1, 1982, p. 24). Waddell's intention to mirror the Olympic dream was evident in the naming, ceremonies and rituals planned for this alternative event. The Gay Olympic Committee, later reconstituted as San Francisco Arts and Athletics (SFAA), wore ceremonial suits and ties of blue, white and red that looked very similar to those of the United States Olympic Committee (USOC). There was also a parade of athletes, a Games oath, and the singing of the US national anthem planned for the inaugural event. Organisers even arranged a 4,000-mile torch relay originating from the Stonewall Inn, New York, carried by over 2,000 runners, walkers and cyclists through over 50 cities in the US, culminating with the lighting of the Gay Games flame at the opening ceremony (Ayer Wood, 1982, p. 32). Waddell sought to bring to the gay and lesbian communities of the world what he saw as the health promoting powers of sports participation and community building associated with a major event accessible to all, while proving to mainstream society that gay people played sport 'like everybody else'. 2 For Waddell, enjoying and excelling in sport was not incompatible with being gay. In fact, sports participation was an important forum for gay men to demonstrate their masculine identity. Waddell apparently developed the idea for a Gay Olympics after viewing televised coverage of a gay men's bowling tournament in 1980. He was impressed because 'the competitors were strong and skilful athletes, clearly bowlers first and gay second', representing the everyday middle class professional who 'voted, ate out, bowled and played softball and rooted for the 49ers. They were not flamboyantly lusting for attention' (Waddell and Schaap, 1996, pp. 145-149). In the promotional brochures of the first Gay Olympic Games,
BMC sports science, medicine & rehabilitation, 2017
This study investigated the perceived influence of a Healthy Welcoming Environment (HWE) on parti... more This study investigated the perceived influence of a Healthy Welcoming Environment (HWE) on participation in sports clubs among adolescent girls, and how these perceptions changed longitudinally. HWE was defined in terms of a set of health promotion policies advocated by a health promotion foundation as the basis of sport club health promotion practice to promote structural reform in state sporting organisations and their affiliated associations and clubs. These included sports injury prevention, smoke-free, responsible serving of alcohol, sun protection, healthy eating, and welcoming and inclusive environments. Year 7 and 11 female students from metropolitan (n = 17) and non-metropolitan secondary schools (n = 14) in Australia were invited to participate in three annual surveys. These surveys collected information about current or past membership of a sports club and the influence of HWEs on their decision to participate (or not) in a sports club. Year 7 (n = 328; 74.5%) and Year 1...
Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport, 2011