Using feminist standpoint theory and poststructural theory, this study explores the subjectivity of female coxswains in men's collegiate rowing. Central to feminist epistemology is the process of taking subjectivity into account. The co-educational structure of crew offers a unique setting in which to study and observe gendered power relations. While few sports have both men and women competing on the same team, men's crew is the only non-individualized high school and collegiate sport that allows women to compete alongside men. Drawing on interviews and yearlong observations of a collegiate varsity team in the Boston area, this study centers female coxswains' experiences and uses them as significant indicators of social and human practice. Their many and varying experiences present a struggle for space, valuation, and membership. They operate within contradictions and some fail to reach a level comfort while others derive control and strategy from their own complex subjectivity.
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