<abstract xml:lang="en" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><p>For over one hundred years, women's gymnastics has been one of the most popular sports in the Nordic countries. In the article, two styles of Finnish women's gymnastics will be studied. Of them, the former one was in use from the beginning of the 1900s, and the latter one from the 1930s on. In the article, it will be analyzed, how each style of gymnastics, with the rhythm and spatiality of its movements, has created a model of how the gymnasts have been in time, and in space. In the same time, by exercising the gymnasts have generated and maintained ideas about the use of space and time in social circumstances, in their normal life. This way, gymnastics has been an institution and a form of activity, which has created and maintained values and norms concerning not only the bodies but the personalities of the gymnasts, as well.</p></abstract>

For over one hundred years, women's gymnastics has been one of the most popular sports in the Nordic countries. In the article, two styles of Finnish women's gymnastics will be studied. Of them, the former one was in use from the beginning of the 1900s, and the latter one from the 1930s on. In the article, it will be analyzed, how each style of gymnastics, with the rhythm and spatiality of its movements, has created a model of how the gymnasts have been in time, and in space. In the same time, by exercising the gymnasts have generated and maintained ideas about the use of space and time in social circumstances, in their normal life. This way, gymnastics has been an institution and a form of activity, which has created and maintained values and norms concerning not only the bodies but the personalities of the gymnasts, as well.

Women's Body Consciousness and Political Ideologies in Finnish Exercise Culture

Physical Culture and Sport. Studies and Research

{"article-title":"Women's Body Consciousness and Political Ideologies in Finnish Exercise Culture"}

For over one hundred years, women's gymnastics has been one of the most popular sports in the Nordic countries. In the article, two styles of Finnish women's...

Women's Body Consciousness and Political Ideologies in Finnish Exercise Culture

Published Online: Jun 21, 2012

Page range: 26 - 32

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/v10141-012-0004-5

Keywords
women's gymnastics, sport history, Finnish exercise culture, psycho physicality, Finnish gymnastics theoreticians at the beginning of the 1900s

This content is open access.

Women's Body Consciousness and Political Ideologies in Finnish Exercise Culture

Published Online: Jun 21, 2012

Page range: 26 - 32

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/v10141-012-0004-5

Keywordswomen's gymnastics, sport history, Finnish exercise culture, psycho physicality, Finnish gymnastics theoreticians at the beginning of the 1900s

This content is open access.

Keywords
women's gymnastics, sport history, Finnish exercise culture, psycho physicality, Finnish gymnastics theoreticians at the beginning of the 1900s