Risky bodies, risky spaces, maternal ‘instincts’: Swimming and motherhood

Abstract

Swimming and aquatic activity are fields in which gendered, embodied identities are brought to the fore, and the co-presence of other bodies can have a significant impact upon lived experiences. To date, however, there has been little research on sport and physical cultures that investigates how meanings associated with space impact upon women's embodied experiences of participating in swimming, specifically in the presence of their young children. Using semi-structured interviews and non-participant observations, this qualitative study employed a Foucauldian-feminist framework to explore self-perceptions and embodied experiences of aquatic activity amongst 20 women, who were swimming with children aged under 4. Results highlight that through 'felt' maternal responsibilities, the co-presence of babies' and children's bodies shifted women's intentionality away from the self towards their child. Mothers' embodied experiences were grounded in perceptions of space-specific 'maternal instincts' and focused upon disciplining their children's bodies in the lived-space of the swimming pool. Key findings cohere around mothers' felt concerns about hygiene, water temperature and safety, and elements of intercorporeality and 'somatic empathy'.

Swimming as self-care – A Foucauldian analysis of swimming for Danish Muslim women

“…Indeed, participants considered that having a sauna and swimming was not only beneficial for their aching muscles and joints, but also positively affected their mental health. Similarly to that outlined elsewhere (Evans, 2017;Evans and Allen-Collinson, 2016;Evans and Sleap, 2012;Evans et al, 2017), participants described how swimming was relaxing, a way to clear their heads or to focus only upon the self and to be 'in the moment'. For example, Haya described how 'you forget everything in the world, when you're in the water'.…”

“…For example, research outlined how mothers with pre-school aged children engaging in swimming were subjected to the judgemental gaze of other participants (often attributed to male ‘others’, but also inclusive of other mothers), through which they perceived others to not only evaluate their own body shape and conduct, but also their parenting techniques and their children's behaviour. Although mothers reported that they felt more comfortable in their bodies due to their children taking the attention of potential observers, this did not lead to a disengagement from dominant gendered discourses; rather, it shifted disciplinary techniques from self to children (Evans, 2017; Evans and Allen-Collinson, 2016; Evans et al, 2017).…”

“…Simultaneously, sociological research has highlighted how swimming spaces are contested, where swimmers' (half-naked) bodies are regulated and on display, and where lifeguards, coaches and other swimmers engage in techniques of surveillance (Johnson and Russell, 2012; Lang, 2010; McMahon and Barker-Ruchti, 2017; McMahon and Penney, 2013; McMahon et al, 2012; Scott, 2009, 2010). Moreover, research illuminates the gendered dimensions of swimming, in which gendered norms impact upon swimmers' lived experiences (Evans et al, 2017; McMahon and Barker-Ruchti, 2017). Nevertheless, while several studies have focused upon gender in swimming, the experiences of racialised women remain largely unexplored.…”

Sensory sociological phenomenology, somatic learning and ‘lived’ temperature in competitive pool swimming

“…Furthermore, and germane to the experience of temperature in the aquatic environment, Evans et al (2017) analyse how mothers monitor their young children's corporeal displays of temperature, being keenly aware of their children's 'goose pimples' as a reaction to the cold. Understanding experientially that such corporeal indicators signal a state of being cold, their appearance often results in the cessation of aquatic activity and retreat towards warmer areas.…”

Reflexivity and bracketing in sociological phenomenological research: researching the competitive swimming lifeworld

“…Discussions within the team 'brought back' many of these memories for him, whilst his insider knowledge of the language and meanings associated with competitive swimming allowed him to act as a critical sounding board for G. Moreover, as a critical sociologist who had previously conducted research upon several non-competitive groups' subjective experiences of swimming (Evans and Allen-Collinson, 2016;Evans et al, 2017), he had been considering ways to study such experiences for a number of years and could draw on experience of the ways in which other groups described their experiences.…”