Women and Sport WOMEN’S CONTRIBUTION TO SPORT IN THE 20TH CENTURY

l As they did so, they triggered a debate which helped to define the “female difference”, or “difference” in general, and to set out strategies to corroborate that philosophy. The theory adopted here is the feminist view of “difference”. According to Patricia Madoo Lengermann and Jill Niebrugge-Brantley (1996), feminist theories can be placed into one of four categories: difference, inequality, oppression and the third wave. “Difference” theories are based on the principle that accepting differences amounts to perpetuating inequality and oppression, which is why they have been criticized in many quarters. However, these ideas have recently been seen as a way of viewing people as individuals rather than in accordance with their relationships with others (Balbo, 1999; Bochetti, 1996; Subirats 1998). They suggest that women should be understood on the basis of their experiences, powers of perception, culture and traditions, etc. Although women, of course, live in a patriarchal society, “difference” theories nevertheless make it possible to highlight the individuality of women and, more broadly, of any person who does not match up to the precepts imposed by hegemonic stereotypes. Hence, without forgetting sexual inequalities and the oppression inflicted by men, these theories enable us to go further and to consider practically the specific contribution women have made to society. “Difference” theories are at odds with dualist approximations, analysis of which is polarized, and open the door to “a new form of relationship and values in society” (Subirats, 1998).