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(Re)assembling ‘Balance’: A Creative Nonfiction of Athlete Mothers Negotiating Sport and Family

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posted on 2023-09-06, 23:26 authored by KR McGannon, Jennifer McMahonJennifer McMahon

In the present creative nonfiction, we draw on findings from a published study titled ‘Juggling Motherhood and Sport: A Qualitative Study of the Negotiation of Competitive Athlete Mother Identities’ (McGannon, McMahon, & Gonsalves, 2018). In this work, we explored competitive recreational athlete mother (i.e., women who compete in races outside of elite sport training and competition) identities in relation to strategies used to negotiate training and family spheres. Focusing on physically active mothers is important to learn more about how they navigate psychological, social, and cultural barriers that constrain physical activity (McGannon, McMahon, & Gonsalves, 2017). Once becoming mothers, women are subjected to cultural ideals that stress that in order to attain a ‘good mother identity’ they should place family needs above their own, including physical activity pursuits (Miller & Brown, 2005). These ‘good mother’ ideals are the product of individual, social, and cultural discourses, which create particular identity meanings and associated practices (Vair, 2013). To align with this conception of motherhood, we used ‘discursive psychology’ (McGannon & Mauws, 2000) to explore competitive athlete mother identities as interdependent with language and social action (McGannon et al., 2017; McGannon & Smith, 2015). Using this theoretical focus expands understanding of athlete mothers’ physical activity participation, within the context of work-leisure balance, and cultural discourses.o abstract available

History

Publication title

Creative Nonfiction in Sport and Exercise Research

Editors

Francesca Cavallerio

Pagination

67-79

ISBN

9780367482664

eISSN

9781003038900

Department/School

Education

Publisher

Routledge

Place of publication

United States

Extent

11

Rights statement

Copyright 2021 Routledge. This is an Accepted Manuscript of a book chapter published by Routledge/CRC Press in Creative Nonfiction in Sport and Exercise Research in 2021, available online: https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edit/10.4324/9781003038900-7/re-assembling-balance-kerry-mcgannon-jenny-mcmahon

Socio-economic Objectives

130699 Sport, exercise and recreation not elsewhere classified, 130601 Exercise

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