Reviews for Built to Win: The Female Athlete as Cultural Icon

The average rating for Built to Win: The Female Athlete as Cultural Icon based on 2 reviews is 4.5 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2016-01-19 00:00:00 Chad Landen I finished this book, agreeing, but wondering what is next for the female athlete. The book came out over a decade ago, before Instagram took over fitness "goals". A fit body is normalized, but what does that even mean? As a young female athlete, I didn't understand feminism. Until I entered the work force in 2010, I thought everything was like sport: you were respected for the work you did. You can't argue measurable results. Then I learned you can argue them. I moved to support feminism completely. As Dworkin and Heywood explain, as an athlete, your body is your tool. You're completely dedicated to it, but also divorced from it? What more do you need? You express through it. Success is wrapped in identity (49). But outside of extreme accomplishments, people don't accept you when you leave the athletic world. If you leave the athletic world, you have to negotiate people treating you differently solely because of your perceived sexuality. I'm really interested in reading more about this and negotiating it myself. This book is nothing I didn't know, but It's 2016. Again, I need to learn more about social media perception.

Review # 2 was written on 2018-04-16 00:00:00 Etienne Gratton Great depthful look at the iconography of the female athlete in popular culture. The results of focus groups with youth was particularly insightful. Important information to know and be aware. Unfortunately, the authors optimistic views have not materialized since this book was written.