How do we explain athlete abuse with Dr. Natalie Barker-Ruchti
Natalie has been immersed in gymnastics since she was a child. She’s used her detailed knowledge of the sport to help explore issues around abuse in the sport. We talk about the methodological strengths and weaknesses that come with being a cultural insider.
Within our chat, Natalie covers some really interesting aspects of the historical development of the sport before considering some of the economic and gendered issues that are important in understating how abuse can become normalised.
This is a great example of how the syntheses of various academic ideas are needed to get to grips with complex social issues.
More recently, Natalie’s work at the Örebro University has focused outlining how those within the sport can work to move past the legacy of abuse.
Related links
Follow Natalie on Twitter
Follow The International Socio-Cultural Research Group on Women’s Artistic Gymnastics on Twitter
Book recommendation: Women's Artistic Gymnastics