How women were excluded from sport – and fought back
HistoryExtra podcast
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The Evolution of Sport
The codification of sport is something that sort of happens at different times in different sports. But it certainly starts to ramp up from the middle of the 19th century. And, you know, for many sports, this codification goes hand in hand with the formal exclusion of women. The Olympic Games comes out of Pierre de Coubertin's reaction against what he sees as France's feminization during the wars of the 18th century. He worries that France has become a feminine weak nation. Sport is seen as the way to kind of take national masculinity in hand and create something that's stronger and more defensive.
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