Retrospektive, letnik VIII, številka 2-5

Scaling Boundaries: Women, Mountaineering, and the Historical Ambivalence of the Female Body

Julija Šuligoj

DOI 10.64651/8-2-6 📋


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Povzetek članka

Članek obravnava zgodovinsko in sodobno ambivalentnost v odnosu do ženskega telesa, ki je hkrati prostor občudovanja in družbenega nadzora. Orisu feminističnih pogledov in zgodovinskega razvoja obravnave ženskega telesa sledi navezava na šport in v teh okvirih na gorništvo.

Kritične obravnave ženskega telesa izhajajo iz del feminističnih avtoric, kot so Simone de Beauvoir, Naomi Wolf, Elizabeth Grosz, Susan Bordo, Judith Butler in drugih, ki so pokazale, da je žensko telo ujeto v mreže družbenih norm, oblasti, medijskih reprezentacij in kulturnih pričakovanj. Sodobni feministični pristopi opozarjajo tudi na presečišča spola z raso in razredom.

Zgodovinski pregled pokaže, da so bila pojmovanja ženskega telesa vedno prežeta z oblastjo in dominacijo. Od antičnega »modela enega spola«, ki je žensko opredelilo kot nepopolno različico moškega, do srednjeveških krščanskih predstav ter kasnejšega »modela dveh spolov« za razumevanje bioloških razlik, povsod so bila ženska telesa prikazana kot šibkejša, bolj omejena in neprimerna za javno življenje.

Na področju športa so ta prepričanja močno zaznamovala dostop žensk do telesnih aktivnosti. Primeri iz antike, srednjega veka, viktorijanske dobe in 20. stoletja kažejo, da je bilo vključevanje žensk zamejeno zaradi medicinskih predsodkov, moralnih norm in strahov pred izgubo »ženskosti«. Te napetosti so prisotne tudi v sodobnosti, kot je razvidno iz razprave o regulaciji spola v boksu na Olimpijskih igrah leta 2024.

V dejavnosti gorništva se posebej dobro razkrije, kako se žensko telo sooča s področjem, ki je zgodovinsko dojeto kot moško, kar omogoči natančen vpogled v preplet spola, športa in oblačil. Kljub nespodbudnim družbenim normam so nekatere ženske dosegale izjemne dosežke, a so njihove zmožnosti pogosto opisovali z ambivalentnimi podtoni. Občudovanje teh planink je bilo pogojeno z občutljivim ravnotežjem med močjo oziroma oblastjo in ženskostjo.

Članek sklene, da se odnos do ženskega telesa skozi zgodovino ni linearno izboljševal, temveč je napredku pogosto sledila nova oblika nadzora. Razumevanje teh zgodovinskih vzorcev omogoča kritičen pogled na sodobne prakse in večje priznanje prispevkov žensk v športu in gorništvu.


Viri in literatura

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Figures


Kontakti avtorjev

Robin Dolar, mag. zgodovine, doktorski študent, mladi raziskovalec
Oddelek za zgodovino, Filozofska fakulteta, Univerza v Ljubljani

Tibor Rutar, doc. dr. sociologije
Oddelek za sociologijo, Filozofska fakulteta, Univerza v Mariboru

Augusto Petter, dr. zgodovine, ATER (začasni učitelj in raziskovalec)
Oddelek za zgodovino, Sciences Po Paris

Julija Šuligoj, dipl. francistka, mag. zgodovine, doktorska študentka
Oddelek za zgodovino, Filozofska fakulteta, Univerza v Ljubljani

Miroslav Vašík, mag. zgodovine, doktorski študent
Inštitut za zgodovino, Filozofska fakulteta, Karlova univerza

Sarah Lias Ceide, dr. zgodovine, raziskovalna sodelavka
Oddelek za zgodovino, Ruprecht-Karls-Universität Heidelberg


Abstract (Izvleček članka v angleščini)

The female body has been idealized, objectified, and burdened with contradictions throughout history. From ancient depictions to contemporary sports culture, it stands at the intersection of social norms and individual power. This paper explores the ambivalence toward the female body through the perspectives of medicine, art, and sports with an emphasis on mountaineering, highlighting how women, despite their achievements, faced and still face persistent scrutiny and bias. It focuses on the historical construction of the body, fashion’s role, and how physical activity shaped perceptions of femininity. The analysis shows how enduring stereotypes influence women’s participation in public life and sports to this day.

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