Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: http://bura.brunel.ac.uk/handle/2438/31691
Title: Fighting fit: clothing, equipment and material objects as identity formation in women’s boxing
Authors: de Vos, E
Mansfield, L
Stephens, N
Keywords: womens boxing;material culture;ethnography;identity;femininity
Issue Date: 3-Jul-2025
Publisher: Routledge (Taylor and Francis Group)
Citation: de Vos, E., Mansfield, L. and Stephens, N. (2025) 'Fighting fit: clothing, equipment and material objects as identity formation in women’s boxing', Annals of leisure research, 28 (3), pp. 399 - 418. doi: 10.1080/11745398.2025.2524024.
Abstract: This paper explores the intersections of material culture and gendered identity among women in boxing, linking material objects to lived experience. Based on ethnographic field work in two Midlands based boxing gyms in the UK, the study used semi-structured interviews, field observations, and a novel method involving boxers’ kit bags. It examines how women athletes navigate, resist, and redefine dominant ideals of Western femininity – privileging heterosexual desirability, whiteness, and toned aesthetics – within the traditionally male-dominated space of the boxing gym. Focusing on two themes: (i) clothing and contested feminine identities and (ii) boxing kit, rituals and belonging, analysis reveals how clothing choices and access to appropriate equipment impact women’s resistance, inclusion, and identity in the gym. While some expressions of resistance remain confined to the gym, the study highlights the symbolic and physical exclusion created by male-designed protective gear, calling for more equitable regulation and design in boxing.
URI: https://bura.brunel.ac.uk/handle/2438/31691
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/11745398.2025.2524024
ISSN: 1174-5398
Other Identifiers: ORCiD: Elaine de Vos https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7128-7828
ORCiD: Louise Mansfield https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4332-4366
ORCiD: Neil Stephens https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3871-0887
Appears in Collections:Dept of Life Sciences Research Papers

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