Hosted by the Centre for Sport, Physical Activity and Health Equality (SPHERE), Gender, Politics and Society Research Group and GW4 Queer Frontiers, this symposium will bring scholars, practitioners, and activists together to critically explore the complex relationships between queer bodies, body image, and body pedagogies.
Recent evidence suggests young people, in particular, are experiencing unprecedented body image concerns, influenced by unattainable ideals and socio-cultural pressures.
This symposium aims to examine how societal norms, cultural narratives, and institutional practices shape the experiences of queer and trans individuals and their bodies.
We will focus on the unique challenges faced by LGBTQIA+ communities, including the impact of gendered body ideals, biopedagogies, and the role of intersectionality in shaping body image experiences.
Through a series of thought-provoking presentations and discussions, the aim of the event will be to:
- identify key gaps and emerging questions in queer body studies
- develop interdisciplinary research collaborations
- generate ideas for future projects, funding applications, and impact activities
Throughout, we’ll explore how body image is not just an individual concern but is deeply embedded in social and cultural contexts that marginalise diverse gender identities and expressions. Special attention will be given to non-binary and genderqueer experiences, which are often overlooked by traditional binary frameworks.
Talks
This symposium will feature talks from a range of contributors.
- Young people’s digitally-networked bodies: changing possibilities of what a gendered body can be, do and become online - Dr Kate Marston, Cardiff University
- Bodies, objects, places, spaces: How gender diverse youth bodies emerge through material entanglements in Physical Education - Dr Lois Ferguson, University of East Anglia
- 'Girls don’t wanna be strong, they wanna be skinny': Mapping Assemblages of Gender, Health, and LGBTQ+ Representation in Teacher Professional Learning to inform Relationships and Sexuality Education - Dr Max Ashton, Cardiff University
- Trans embodiment in the English Education system - Kayden Schumacker, Coventry University
Key themes
The key themes of this symposium are:
- To examine the intersections of queer and trans identities with body image concerns, particularly within the context of gendered body ideals, societal pressures, and cultural expectations
- To investigate the role of body pedagogies in shaping how queer and trans bodies are educated, regulated, and surveilled
- To provide a space for the development of queer and trans affirmative practices that challenge oppressive body norms and promote body positivity and well-being
- To foster interdisciplinary dialogue among researchers, practitioners, and LGBTQI+ activists, facilitating the exchange of ideas, methodologies, and best practices in queer body studies
- To explore ways to create more inclusive physical cultures that affirm diverse gender identities, and to develop actionable research projects and strategies for promoting positive body image in LGBTQIA+ communities