On the track/in the bleachers: authenticity and feminist ethnographic research in sport and physical cultural studies

Abstract

Much contemporary ethnographic research about alternative sports and physical cultures tends to value the ‘insider’ perspective, claiming that it provides a level of embodied understanding that cultural ‘outsiders’ struggle to access. Participatory research perspectives have come to be viewed as the most ‘authentic’, with participation itself defined by those who are doing/playing the activity. This often diminishes the value we place on meanings experienced by those on the sidelines/bleachers, which may be similar to or different from those of participants. This article explores these issues by placing the observations, experiences and insights of a ‘intimate insider’ in dialogue with those of an ‘interested outsider’, and considers the ways in which roller derby, as an alternative sport and leisure activity for women, presents both opportunities and limitations as a feminist and queer space. Taking a dialogic approach to questioning the authentic value of ‘insider’ research, we reveal a space where collaboration and curiosity become vital for maintaining high-quality, rigorous feminist research.