This chapter discussed the research methodology and research methods. It discussed how the methodological approach, the qualitative research paradigm, facilitated the researcher in making meaning of the lived experiences of the participants. Purposive sampling as a sampling strategy as well as the sample size and participant selection criteria enabled the researcher to select those participants best suited to the purpose of the study. Gaining consent form the participants as well as ethical clearance from the university to proceed with the study, ensured the validity and reliability of the study and its findings. The next chapter presents the findings chapter and discusses the various themes that emerged from data produced through phenomenological interviews.
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CHAPTER 4: FINDINGS 4.1. Introduction
The analysis below is based on data that was produced through phenomenological interviews with five black female bodybuilders living in Durban and training in Durban gyms during the year 2016.They all subscribed to the Christian faith and were from the Zulu culture. All the participants consented to the use of their real names as well as their photographs in the findings of the study. At the time of the interviews, the participants had all recently competed in bodybuilding competitions and were training for upcoming competitions in the following year, 2017. The competition divisions are explained below.
4.1.1. Bodybuilding competition divisions
The different divisions of the bodybuilding competitions are: Beach Bikini, Bikini Fitness (also known as Fitness Bikini), Body Fitness and Physique; in ascending order of muscularity. The Beach Bikini division is for the woman who has a ‘beach body’ (IFBB, 2016a). The Fitness Bikini division is a division between Beach Bikini and Body Fitness and it is “for the girls that are not quite Beach Bikini (who display much softer lines and even the acceptable bit of curviness) and she is also not quite Body Fitness (with that more defined and definite level of muscle tone and conditioned physique with very low body fat)” (IFBB, 2016b:1). In the Body Fitness division, athletes are judged on muscularity so this division is unlike the Beach Bikini or Fitness Bikini divisions. The Women’s Physique division requires even greater emphasis on muscle tone but also needs to be balanced with feminine markers as will be explained in greater detail under the theme of ‘Emphasized femininity’. All the participants were able-bodied and all identified as heterosexual women. Below is a brief background description of the participants.
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4.1.2. Background description of participants:
Participant 1: Nonhlanhla Keri Linda
Nonhlanhla Keri Linda (29 years old), is originally from Richards Bay but now lives in Durban, South Beach. She started bodybuilding in March 2015, originally in the Beach Bikini division but has since moved to Fitness Bikini division. Since two of the participants are Nonhlanhla, this participant will be referred to as Keri in the Findings and Discussion chapters.
Participant 2: Nonhlanhla Mkhize
Nonhlanhla Mkhize (34 years old) is from Newlands West, Durban. She works as a Group Exercise Instructor at various gyms, particularly Muscle and Fitness, Musgrave Centre. She started competing in 2016 and has only participated in one competition. She competed in the Body Fitness Division.
Participant 3: Pamella Ndhlovu
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Pamella Ndhlovu (30 years old), is originally from Johannesburg but now living in Umhlanga, Durban. She is a Personal Trainer at Virgin Active Moses Mabhida. She started competing in 2016 in the Beach Bikini division but has since moved up into the Fitness Bikini division.
Participant 4: Sihle Kati
Sihle Kati (30 years old) is from Hillcrest, Durban. She started bodybuilding in 2016 and has competed in two competitions. She competes in the Body Fitness division.
Participant 5: Nosipho Noqwaka
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Nosipho Noqwaka (28 years old) is from Pinetown, Durban. She has been competing for two years and in the year 2016 she has competed in four competitions. She competes in the Fitness Bikini division.
Provided below is an analysis of the data that emanated from the phenomenological interviews conducted. Thematic Content Analysis was used as a tool for analysing the research findings.
This enabled the data to be organised into themes and sub-themes. The themes that emerged from the data are: The Body Project, Embodiment of Muscle, The Male Gaze, Religious and Cultural conceptions of black women’s bodies, Gender Performance, Femininity, Misunderstood sexuality, Reproductive Health, Racial politics of bodybuilding and Liberatory Hermeneutics. As previously stated, the theoretical frameworks used to analyse the data were
‘Gender Performativity’ by Judith Butler as well as Kimberlé Crenshaws ‘Intersectionality’.
Hence, the themes that emerged from the data were aligned to the notion of the politics of gender, gender identity and how gender is a performance especially with regards to female muscularity and female bodybuilding. However, because the study was an Interdisciplinary study, it incorporated not only the gendered aspects of female bodybuilding but also looked at the religious and sexual reproductive health aspects of it. The Intersectional framework analysed how other identities such as race, religion and culture worked together with gender as part of the experiences of black female bodybuilders within the sport. As a result, the emerging themes were informed by the interdisciplinary study as well as the theoretical frameworks.
However, it is worth noting that certain themes not linked to either of these also emerged. These themes provided a background either to the motivations of why black women took up
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bodybuilding or how religious and cultural conceptions of women’s bodies influenced the ways in which black female bodybuilders understood themselves.