Tackling the 'body inescapable' in sport: Body-artifact kinesthetics, embodied skill and the community of practice in lacrosse masculinity

I address the role of gender embodiment and technological materiality in the articulation and legitimation of locally hegemonic masculinities. Drawing from research conducted with a men's lacrosse club, I describe the interweaving of bodies, technologies, and gender performance. Lacrosse provides a rich case for the examination of body-artifact performance, privileged masculinities and power hierarchies. I first discuss the relationship between the body and the mechanical artifact, illustrating the hybridity of the body-artifact interaction that enables the performance of athletic skill. Next, I use Carrie Pacchter's conceptualization of communities of practice to examine how gender is regulated by bodily and technological action.