Boys' Bodies: Sport, Health and Physical Activity - Hardcover

by Murray Drummond (Author)

1. Introduction: Personal reflections.- 2. Surveying the Landscape of Male Body Image.- 3. Male Body Image across the Lifespan.- 4.The Stories of Boys' Bodies, Sport, Health and Physical Activity.- 5. Boys, Sport and Physical Activity.- 6. Muscles, Strength and Power.- 7. Boys' Bodies in Early Childhood.- 8. Boys' Bodies in the Middle Years.- 9.The Pre-pubescent Years.- 10. Boys and Young Males' Bodies in the Age of Social Media.- 11. Boys' Bodies.

Back Jacket

This is a book about boys' bodies, masculinities, and the ways in which boys navigate their lives from early childhood through to the beginning of adolescence. Drummond focuses on sport, health and physical activity, and adds context to the history of male bodies, the social construction of masculinity and the role of sport as a potential rite of passage for young males. Using rich descriptive interview data with 33 boys from the ages of 5 to 13, collected over an 8- year period, Boys' Bodies identifies important issues including the significance of muscularity and strength as signifiers of masculinity and the need for boys to be involved in "blood sports" as well as "beat girls" in sporting competitions. The meaning of health and the perception of boys' changing bodies over time are central to the discussion. The book will appeal to researchers, teachers, practitioners, policy makers and parents.

Author Biography

Murray Drummond is Research Professor in Sport, Health and Physical Activity, Flinders University, Australia.