Mirror, mirror on the wall: the woman, the gaze and the fitness room

Abstract

This study seeks to examine the gender forces at work in the sphere of athletics and aerobic sports in the Israeli context. This issue is of significance in the Israeli context in that women are exposed to conflicting discourses which, on one hand, draw their values from modern Western society, and on the other, still upholds patriarchal perceptions relative to women's status. By observing women athletes' mirrored reflections in the gym, we explore how these two forces shape the authentic body experience of female Israeli aerobics athletes and trace the dialogue they conduct within themselves. The premise was that the reflection of body in the mirror would also constitute the platform reflecting the forces at work as represented by the women's outlooks.