Title dissertation:
G*ender Regulation in Elite Sport: Governing the Bodies that don't fit
Topic trial lecture:
Gender diversity in sport in biomedical and political discourses. Implications for participation and research
Time for trial lecture: 10:15 – 11:15
Time for public defence: 12:15 – 15:30
Place: Bodø, A13 Elias Blix
Chair of defence: Dean Elisabet Ljunggren
Assessment committee:
- Postdoctoral Researcher Dennis Krämer, University of Münster
- Associate Professor Lindsay Parks Pieper, Elon University
- Associate Professor Ann-Torill Tørrisplass, Nord University
Supervisors:
- Main supervisor: Professor Anne Tjønndal, Nord University
- Co-supervisor: Professor Sandra Günther, Leibniz University Hannover
The thesis is available for viewing by contacting Anneli Watterud, anneli.m.watterud@nord.no.
About the thesis:
This PhD examines how gender verification practices in elite sport regulate bodies that do not conform to binary definitions of sex and gender. Through historical, scientific, legal and media analyses, the thesis shows how these practices are grounded in gendered understandings of both sport and science, rooted in Western traditions that present themselves as neutral and objective. While aimed at ensuring fairness, gender verification also functions as a regulatory apparatus that reinforces gender binarism, racialisation and exclusion. Specifically, the findings show how women of colour and athletes from the Global South are disproportionately targeted and marginalised, revealing the colonial, racial and gendered legacies that continue to shape contemporary sport. By exposing the power relations and epistemic hierarchies underlying gender verification, the thesis challenges dominant assumptions about sex, scientific authority and athletic legitimacy. It argues for the recognition of non-binary and gender-diverse identities in sport and points toward more just and inclusive futures through athlete-led governance, transparency, accountability and critical reflection by policymakers, medical professionals and journalists.
