Queens in the shadow of kings – sociological notes on the historical process of women’s discrimination and emancipation in chess
The article concerns the unequal position of men and women in chess. This inequality is currently manifested in the male-dominated population of chess players, gender determined differences in the game level attained, and financial discrimination. Historical analysis shows that over the centuries ch...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Lodz University Press
2020-12-01
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| Series: | Acta Universitatis Lodziensis: Folia Sociologica |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://czasopisma.uni.lodz.pl/sociologica/article/view/9482 |
| _version_ | 1818575452786130944 |
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| author | Jakub Ryszard Stempień |
| author_facet | Jakub Ryszard Stempień |
| author_sort | Jakub Ryszard Stempień |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The article concerns the unequal position of men and women in chess. This inequality is currently manifested in the male-dominated population of chess players, gender determined differences in the game level attained, and financial discrimination. Historical analysis shows that over the centuries chess has been regarded as a pastime suitable for both men and women. It was only the process of institutionalization of chess as a sport (and turning it into serious leisure activity, in R. Stebbins’ typology), which took place in the era of industrial society, that discrimination against women in chess came about. The emancipatory activities of women in this field, dating back to the second half of the 19th century, were commented on in the chess press in two ways, which are referred to in the text as the “Steinitz narrative” and the “de Coubertin narrative”. Both of these perspectives have remained resilient to this day, accompanying the progress in equalizing the position of men and women in chess that were seen in the 20th and 21st centuries. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-15T00:40:29Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-45424eaf9de244a4a72e2867278087c4 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 0208-600X 2353-4850 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-15T00:40:29Z |
| publishDate | 2020-12-01 |
| publisher | Lodz University Press |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Acta Universitatis Lodziensis: Folia Sociologica |
| spelling | doaj.art-45424eaf9de244a4a72e2867278087c42022-12-21T22:41:39ZengLodz University PressActa Universitatis Lodziensis: Folia Sociologica0208-600X2353-48502020-12-0175658410.18778/0208-600X.75.059378Queens in the shadow of kings – sociological notes on the historical process of women’s discrimination and emancipation in chessJakub Ryszard Stempień0https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9526-4823Department of Rural and Urban Sociology, Institute of Sociology, Faculty of Economics and Sociology, University of Łódź, ul. Rewolucji 1905 r. 41/43, 90-214 ŁódźThe article concerns the unequal position of men and women in chess. This inequality is currently manifested in the male-dominated population of chess players, gender determined differences in the game level attained, and financial discrimination. Historical analysis shows that over the centuries chess has been regarded as a pastime suitable for both men and women. It was only the process of institutionalization of chess as a sport (and turning it into serious leisure activity, in R. Stebbins’ typology), which took place in the era of industrial society, that discrimination against women in chess came about. The emancipatory activities of women in this field, dating back to the second half of the 19th century, were commented on in the chess press in two ways, which are referred to in the text as the “Steinitz narrative” and the “de Coubertin narrative”. Both of these perspectives have remained resilient to this day, accompanying the progress in equalizing the position of men and women in chess that were seen in the 20th and 21st centuries.https://czasopisma.uni.lodz.pl/sociologica/article/view/9482chesssportdiscrimination against women in sport |
| spellingShingle | Jakub Ryszard Stempień Queens in the shadow of kings – sociological notes on the historical process of women’s discrimination and emancipation in chess Acta Universitatis Lodziensis: Folia Sociologica chess sport discrimination against women in sport |
| title | Queens in the shadow of kings – sociological notes on the historical process of women’s discrimination and emancipation in chess |
| title_full | Queens in the shadow of kings – sociological notes on the historical process of women’s discrimination and emancipation in chess |
| title_fullStr | Queens in the shadow of kings – sociological notes on the historical process of women’s discrimination and emancipation in chess |
| title_full_unstemmed | Queens in the shadow of kings – sociological notes on the historical process of women’s discrimination and emancipation in chess |
| title_short | Queens in the shadow of kings – sociological notes on the historical process of women’s discrimination and emancipation in chess |
| title_sort | queens in the shadow of kings sociological notes on the historical process of women s discrimination and emancipation in chess |
| topic | chess sport discrimination against women in sport |
| url | https://czasopisma.uni.lodz.pl/sociologica/article/view/9482 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT jakubryszardstempien queensintheshadowofkingssociologicalnotesonthehistoricalprocessofwomensdiscriminationandemancipationinchess |