Bieke Gils

• Fylkesnes, Sandra; Gils, Bieke & Synnes, Ronald Mayora (2025). Teacher educators matter: a call for countering the workings of Whiteness in so-called post-racial societies through a pedagogy of remembrance and accountability. Whiteness and Education. ISSN 2379-3406. p. 1–18. doi: 10.1080/23793406.2024.2448268. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  This paper theorises the critical concept of Whiteness in relation to the so-called post-racial context of Norway and calls for teacher education programmes to adopt a pedagogy of remembrance and accountability to counter persistent forms of subtle racism. The national politically orchestrated Norwegian teacher education programmes educate about 7005 new teachers annually, who go on to teach the next generation of Norwegian citizens. While pedagogies that counter the workings of Whiteness are crucial in all social contexts, we argue that teacher educators must be understood as gatekeepers of knowledge and thus as central actors in the endeavour to counter racial injustice.

• Gils, Bieke (2025). When the Personal Is Political: From Feminism to Institutional Politics and Graduate Mentorship in Sport Studies Departments. The International Journal of Sport and Society. ISSN 2152-7857. 16(1), p. 39–60. doi: 10.18848/2152-7857/CGP/v16i01/39-60. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  In this article, I examine the intersection of feminist values and institutional politics in sport studies, emphasizing the role of mentorship in fostering social justice-oriented scholarship. Through an autoethnographic approach, I reflect on my experiences as a mentee and mentor across academic institutions, advocating for a mentorship approach that supports the personal and professional challenges faced by graduate students. The study highlights the enduring politicization of women's roles in sport, exploring how feminist frameworks--particularly standpoint theory and intersectionality--offer critical tools for navigating these spaces. Key challenges identified include navigating institutional resistance to feminist and decolonial perspectives and balancing emotional labor inherent in social justice research. I argue that creating supportive academic communities grounded in empathy, ethics of care, and reflexivity can empower scholars to address structural inequalities in sport and academia. This article ultimately calls for a mentorship model that integrates feminist ethics to foster resilience, inclusivity, and transformative change in academia.

• Tangen, Jan Ove & Gils, Bieke (2025). Oslo 2022: The Ethics of the Norwegian People and the Spirit of the Olympic Movement. In Field, Russell (Eds.), Winters of Discontent - The Winter Olympics and a Half Century of Protest and Resistance. University of Illinois Press. ISSN 9780252046377. p. 169–193. doi: https:/www.jstor.org/stable/10.5406/jj.21154990.10. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  In the summer of 2011, the City of Oslo and the Norwegian Confederation of Sport started the application process to host the 2022 Olympic Winter Games (OWG). While some of the major stakeholders in this process motivated the Oslo bid as Norway’s responsibility to help modernize the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and strengthen the organization’s claimed human rights values, among other aspects, the bidding campaign ended about three years later, on the first of October 2014. A press release shortly after revealed the primary reason for the bid’s cancellation: “Without sufficient enthusiasm [in the Norwegian population], hosting the 2022 Olympic Winter Games in Oslo could not be justified.” Eli Grimsby, CEO for the Oslo 2022 provisional municipal agency, which planned and organized the bid, explained: “The gap between the Norwegian national character and the Olympic movement is too large.” We draw on Max Weber’s study The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism, supported by other theoretical concepts and perspectives, to explain this ‘gap’ in moral values repertoires between Norway and the International Olympic Committee (IOC). We rely on existing research addressing this particular bidding process, a large number of nationwide polls carried out by both national and local newspapers from 26 October 2011 to 30 October 2014, and public opinions expressed in the referendum and news media.

• Tangen, Jan Ove; Barland, Bjørn & Gils, Bieke (2024). Doping and Mega-Events - The Paradox of Doping as a Problem and a Solution. In Solberg, Harry Arne; Storm, Rasmus K. & Swart, Kamilla (Ed.), Research handbook on major sporting events. Edward Elgar Publishing. ISSN 9781800885646. p. 618–634. doi: 10.4337/9781800885653.00059. Full text in Research Archive
• Lippe, Gerd von der & Gils, Bieke (2023). Women in Norwegian Athletics in the 1960s & 1970s. In Krieger, Jörg (Eds.), Athletics in the Nordic Countries: History and Developments. Common Ground Publishing. ISSN 9781957792507. p. 121–138. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  In May 2022, newspapers and sport enthusiasts in Norway celebrated the fiftieth anniversary of female participation in the Holmenkollen relay, an annual iconic race in the city of Oslo organized since 1923 and initially open to male participants only. This was still the case on the legendary Sunday in May 1972 when two female runners, Ingrid Ellingsen and Gerd von der Lippe, appeared at the start under the respective pseudonyms of I. Ellingsen and Øyvind Foss. While the race organizers were less than pleased with their bold initiative, as with their well-organized activism on behalf of women’s inclusion in the years to follow, it would force them to open the race to female participants from 1975 onwards. Gerd and Ingrid were not alone, however, in their attempts to gain legitimacy as athletes at the time. American Roberta Gibb ran the male-only Boston Marathon already in 1966 as an unregistered participant, to be followed by American Kathrine Switzer in 1967 who registered under a male pseudonym, sparking controversy and international outcry while pushing the envelope for women’s sport in the West. As we illustrate in this chapter, also Ingrid and Gerd’s activism in the 1970s was both inspired by, and indicative of, much larger demands for women’s rights and social justice inside and outside of sport, nationally and globally. Our chapter seeks to piece together the rather fragmented and much under-researched history of women in Norwegian athletics during the 1960s and 1970s, with a specific emphasis on the Holmenkollen relay in 1972 in relation to the first author’s political activism in the years before and after this event. The chapter is based on the first author’s rich anecdotal accounts of her experiences and her recollection of people and events, in addition to existing literature on the topic, and a considerable number of newspaper articles. The second author’s role, in conversational and written collaboration with the first author, has been to interpret and verify the first author’s writings and personal narratives and to help formulate and contextualize them. The piece can best be placed in the (auto)biographical history genre; it uses and unveils the first author’s personal narratives and experiences to describe and contextualize the process of women moving from the margins of Norwegian athletics’ history to its center. The chapter does not pretend to be ‘complete’ or impartial in any way, as it is narrated mostly through the first author’s lens. It does, however, aim to contribute to continuing to tell, and re-tell, the often fragmented but important herstories of athletes and pioneering women more generally. Even in 2023, the need for writing women into the largely male-dominated field of sport historiography has not dissipated.This piece must also be read as a tribute to female athletes in athletics, as well as to women’s collective efforts to fight discrimination across the board.

• Gils, Bieke & Book, Robert (2023). On Account of Darkness: Shining Light on Race and Sport by Ian Kennedy (review). Journal of Sport History. ISSN 0094-1700. 50(3), p. 438–440. Full text in Research Archive
• Gils, Bieke (2022). Charmion and the business of physical culture at the turn of the twentieth century. Iron Game History: The Journal of Physical Culture. 16(3), p. 25–27. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Vaudeville performer and strongwoman Laverie Cooper, better known by her stage name “Charmion,” was born in Sacramento, California in 1875. Charmion was well known for her provocative trapeze disrobing act, featured in one of Thomas Edison’s early silent films, as well as her exhibitions of strength and muscularity on the vaudeville stages in New York between 1897 and 1910. Charmion was part of a wave of muscular female performers around the turn of the twentieth century whose acts flew in the face of Victorian values as they pushed the boundaries of traditional notions of femininity and demonstrated new ways for women to express themselves through bodily reform. Women like her were physical culture promoters and keen entrepreneurs who, both out of desire for adventure as well as necessity, had to be inventive and use creative strategies to keep their performances interesting and their businesses alive.

• Hognestad, Hans Kristian; Giulianotti, Richard; Thorpe, Holly; Langseth, Tommy & Gils, Bieke (2022). Editorial: Environmental Sustainability in Sports, Physical Activity and Education, and Outdoor Life. Frontiers in Sports and Active Living. 4. doi: 10.3389/fspor.2022.853599. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Environmental sustainability is one of the most urgent and complex “big issues” facing the contemporary world, as highlighted by its centrality to many of the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Environmental sustainability issues take many forms, including: climate change and carbon emissions, waste management, pollution and environmental degradation, the use of scarce natural resources such as water, the use of “dirty” and “clean” energy, the production and recycling of consumer items, and the impacts of modern living on biodiversity and the natural world. Environmental sustainability is of critical importance to the fields of sports, physical activity and education, and outdoor life, in a whole range of ways. For example, the development of facilities and equipment for these activities requires the use of scarce natural resources, and has significant impacts on the natural environment; the staging of sport events often carries a large carbon footprint and generates vast material waste; physical exercise in many settings carries substantial environmental risks, such as air pollution or excess heat; and, participation in outdoor life activities, such as mountaineering or canoeing, may threaten local biodiversity and micro-climates. Issues of environmental sustainability thus have crucial significance for sport, physical activity and education, and outdoor living, at many different levels: in terms of geographical scale (local, national, regional, and global), in terms of types of activity involvement (as participants and players, spectators, organizers, and investors), and in terms of varieties of expertise and commitment (as professionals, elite competitors, amateurs, and informal participants). The goal of this Research Topic is to advance knowledge and understanding of the environment and environmental sustainability in the three fields of sport, physical activity and education, and outdoor life. Our aim in developing this Research Topic has been to publish papers that draw on a diversity of disciplinary groundings, and to encompass a broad range of approaches relating to theory, methods, empirical content, and relevance for policy and practice.

• Gils, Bieke; Hemmestad, Liv B; Thoresen, Trine & Augestad, Pål (2021). Til topps på bekostning av kjønnsbalanse? Rekrutteringsmekanismer og underrepresentasjon av kvinnelige veiledere i et toppidrettstreningsprogram. In Tjønndal, Anne (Eds.), Idrett, kjønn og ledelse. Fagbokforlaget. ISSN 9788245035353. p. 264–282. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Forestillingen om de skandinaviske landene som “champions of gender equality” er ifølge idrettssosiolog Jorid Hovden “full of contradictions and the struggle for the equal inclusion of women has been – and still is – a contested terrain” (2012, s. 287). De siste 40 år har forskere dokumentert en vedvarende underrepresentasjon av kvinner i beslutnings- og ledelsesposisjoner i norsk idrett og dette problemet er også dokumentert på globalt plan. I en norsk kontekst oppleves kvinners underrepresentasjon som styremedlemmer i idrettsorganisasjoner og som toppidrettstrenere ofte som et paradoks. Hvordan kan det ha seg at et sosialdemokrati som Norge, som i flere tiår har vært opptatt av like muligheter for alle landets innbyggere, fortsatt strever med å oppnå kjønnsbalanse i idretten? Med andre ord, og som flere forskere har spurt: hvorfor er det fortsatt så vanskelig å rekruttere kvinnelige kandidater til lederstillinger i (topp)idretten, til tross for politisk oppmerksomhet og en uttalt institusjonell vilje til å gjøre noe med problemet i en rekke idrettsorganisasjoner i Norges Idrettsforbund og Olympiske og Paralympiske Komite (NIF)? I dette kapitlet gir vi delvis et svar på dette spørsmålet ved å se nærmere på rekrutteringen av veiledere til Trenerløftet, et toårig program (2019–2021) administrert av Olympiatoppen i den hensikt å heve den generelle kompetansen blant landets vordende topptrenere. I resultatene av til sammen 13 dybdeintervjuer med fem kvinnelige veiledere og sju personer med ansvar for å rekruttere veiledere (5 menn, 2 kvinner) trer det frem tre rekrutteringsmekanismer: 1) utvelgelse fra etablerte nettverk, 2) rekruttering basert på formell og uformell kompetanse, 3) ulike oppfatninger av behovet for kjønnsbalanse. Vi baserer oss på arbeid fra feministiske akademikere innen feltet kjønn, idrett og ledelse, og på Thornton og medforfatteres perspektiv om institusjonelle logikker (Thornton & Ocasio, 2008; Thornton, Ocasio & Lounsbury, 2012) i våre forklaringer på hvordan og hvorfor mange velmente prosjekter og politiske grep for å øke kvinneandelen i lederroller i idretten de siste tiårene har lyktes bare delvis.

• Augestad, Pål; Hemmestad, Liv B; Gils, Bieke & Thoresen, Trine (2021). Omsorg som barriere, som kompetanse og som prestasjonsressurs. In Tjønndal, Anne (Eds.), Idrett, kjønn og ledelse. Fagbokforlaget. ISSN 9788245035353. p. 76–94. Full text in Research Archive
• Koch, Sarah; Yoon, Liv & Gils, Bieke (2020). From the Exposome to the Socioexposome in COVID-19 Research—A Call for More Multidisciplinary Research. JAMA Network Open. 3(12). doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2020.32287. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Three recent UBC Kinesiology PhD grads, Sarah Koch (2018), Liv Yoon (2019), Bieke Gils (2014), have recently published an article in the JAMA Network (December 29, 2020). In their Commentary, the KIN alumnae make a call for a multidisciplinary research approach that encompasses perspectives from both natural and social sciences to studying health disparities in the wake of COVID-19. While the coronavirus was initially thought of as ‘The Great Equalizer’, the unfolding of the current pandemic tells a different story, one of increasing health disparities affecting populations marginalized along race and class lines. The COVID-19 pandemic is a stark reminder that existing research methodologies and approaches often focus on the outcomes of health disparities, and less so on their social, historical and political roots. Koch, Yoon, and Gils, therefore, call for a rethinking and increased integration of natural and social science research approaches that target vulnerable populations without singling them out. To accommodate for such an approach, they suggest the further development and use of the so-called ‘socio-exposome’ model as suggested by L. Senier, P. Brown, S, Shostak, and B. Hanna (2017) 1. Via this multidisciplinary framework, researchers can situate and contextualize natural science data and findings across the individual, local, and global scales, rendering a full picture of the interplay between biological disease pathways and the social and environmental forces that are interacting with each other. Thus, as an extension and augmentation of the existing health and pandemic research models, implementing the multidisciplinary socio-exposome approach would help create policies that address these realities informed by multiple layers of influencing factors. They invite researchers, policymakers, and health practitioners to critically reflect on their research strategies and resulting interpretation approaches – a ‘must’ as we reimagine health research methodologies in a world where zip codes matter more than genetic codes in determining health outcomes. From: https://kin.educ.ubc.ca/from-the-exposome-to-the-socioexposome-in-covid-19-research-a-call-for-more-multidisciplinary-research/

• Tangen, Jan Ove & Gils, Bieke (2019). The Johaug doping case: Public reactions and sociological explanations. In Tin, Mikkel B.; Telseth, Frode; Tangen, Jan Ove & Giulianotti, Richard (Ed.), The Nordic Model and Physical Culture. Routledge. ISSN 9780429320187. p. 144–162. doi: 10.4324/9780429320187-10. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  On October 13 2016, news broke that the very successful Norwegian cross-country skier, Therese Johaug tested positive for the anabolic steroid Clostebol for which she was later banned from the sport for 18 months. In this article we analyse Johaug’s initial press conference as well as the public reactions to her doping abuse as they surfaced in digital newspaper articles. We use dramaturgical sociology by which we see public reactions to certain events as individual and collective attempts to interpret and present a unified image of reality. In particular, we use the concepts of ‘tragedy’ and ‘scandal’ to frame and interpret Johaug’s case. We consider Johaug’s press conference a staged play or tragedy consisting of several acts in which questions of ignorance, guilt and innocence are addressed. Further do we distinguish between two main types of public responses; those addressing the question of Johaug’s guilt (the doubters, defenders, accusers and gloaters); and those revolving around institutional responsibility and the international standing of the Norwegian sport and self-righteousness. We point to two factors that help explain these reactions; first, the idea that people’s believes and ways of reasoning are structured by narratives, frames and metaphors which they use to interpret complex social events; secondly, the fact that Johaug’s doping accusations crash with expectations of what it means to be a female athlete and idol.

• Vertinsky, Patricia & Gils, Bieke (2017). 'Watch Britain': Movement Education, Transnational Exchanges and the Contested Terrain of Physical Education in Mid- Twentieth Century Canada. Journal of Sport History. ISSN 0094-1700. 44(3), p. 456–475. doi: 10.5406/jsporthistory.44.3.0456. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  The notion that exercise is medicine dominated Canadian physical education in its nineteenth-century inception and continued to circulate through fitness discourses despite the introduction of movement education in the mid-twentieth century, which offered more progressive methods of child-centered teaching. Canadas approach to physical education in the postwar decades was affected by important transatlantic influences, not only in matters of national fitness but through numbers of emigree female physical educators from Britain who played a significant role in the transfer and exchange of professional practices. Arriving in British Columbia—the end of the railway line—in the late 1950s and ’60s, these women promoted movement education and gained considerable traction in schools and colleges. Ultimately, however, an increasingly gendered discourse pitted the female-centered tradition of child-centered movement education against a growing appetite for competitive sport-skill-based forms of physical education and biopedagogical interventions supported by an evidence-based medicine approach.

• Gils, Bieke (2017). Bessie Coleman: “The Only Race Aviatrix in the World.”. In Gems, Gerald R. (Eds.), Before Jackie Robinson The Transcendent Role of Black Sporting Pioneers. University of Nebraska Press. ISSN 9780803296688. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  The 1920s have often been referred to as an era of change in North America as well as many European countries. While World War I had left both continents wounded in many respects, there was also, as Sara Jane Deutsch noted “a pervasive sense of newness,” especially where gender roles were concerned. During the war many women had shown themselves capable of taking care of jobs formerly executed by men and had started to demand greater autonomy and independence over their lives and bodies. Women’s demand for the vote in the United States (among other countries) was finally heard, contributing to this sense of newness and to the so-called “New Woman.” Emblematic of this era was also the female “flapper” who blended typical feminine and masculine categories by bobbing her hair, smoking cigars, dancing in short skirts and thus breaking with conventional norms that stipulated appropriate behavior for women. The 1920s was also an era in which entertainment industries in the United States boomed. Large numbers of men and women from a wide range of socio-economic backgrounds frequented the casinos, theaters, cinemas and other entertainment venues that proliferated all over the country. The amusement industry was not only attractive to various audiences, it also opened up employment opportunities for adventure seeking women and men who aspired to rather ‘unusual’ careers. One of the industries in the 1920s that flourished especially and in which a considerable number of women found employment, was the aviation industry. It was a “golden age,” as Susan Ware pointed out, for women who aspired to become pilots and, like their male counterparts, entice hundreds of spectators with their stunt flying, including making loops, figure eights, walking on wings, and jumping out of planes with parachutes. Flying at the time was an extreme sport. Altitude and speed records were set and shattered again on a frequent basis, often at the cost of airplane crashes and deadly accidents. Not surprisingly, the belief that women’s supposedly frail and nervous nature made them more prone to accidents than men, made it often difficult for them to gain a foothold in this white and male dominated field of endeavor. Moreover, for women and men of color, such as African Americans, becoming a pilot in the United States was nearly impossible. Indeed, while the interwar period witnessed a gradual shift in gender roles and white women made their way into domains that were typically considered male, such as flying airplanes, racial barriers in the United States remained to be broken. One pioneer who pushed the envelope by becoming the first African American woman to gain a pilot’s license, organized her own aerial exhibitions, and invited both black and white audiences to attend her shows, was Bessie Coleman. Born in 1892 in the small town of Atlanta, Texas, Coleman would become an ardent advocate of civil rights who saw aviation as a means for African Americans to enter ‘mainstream’ society and to counteract stereotypes that had inhibited their progress in the professional sphere. Her entrepreneurial spirit, her networking skills and her ability to turn her aviation shows into a form of popular entertainment for all audiences made her desire to fly possible. She built a remarkable career as a stunt flying pilot, and her early death in 1926 was, like her contemporary Amelia Earhart’s, both tragic and surrounded by controversy.

• Gils, Bieke (2017). Reviewed Work(s): Playing for Change: The Continuing Struggle for Sport and Recreation by Field, Russell, ed. Journal of Sport History. ISSN 0094-1700. 44(3), p. 500–501. Full text in Research Archive
• Vertinsky, Patricia & Gils, Bieke (2016). 'Physical Education’s First Lady of the World': Dorothy Sears Ainsworth and The International Association of Physical Education and Sport for Women and Girls. International Journal of the History of Sport. ISSN 0952-3367. 33(13), p. 1500–1516. doi: 10.1080/09523367.2016.1262352. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Dorothy Sears Ainsworth has received wide acclaim for her pioneering efforts in international relations that enhanced collaboration among female physical educators in the decades following World War II. As Director of Physical Education for Women at Smith College (1926–1960), Ainsworth became a global figure, traveling extensively and organizing the first international conference on physical education for women and girls in Copenhagen in 1949. This resulted in the establishment of the International Association of Physical Education and Sport for Girls and Women (IAPESGW), today counting over 400 members from 45 different countries. In this paper we (re)consider the largely hagiographical accounts of Ainsworth’s career and re-examine her contributions to the international stage in light of her maternalist views on female sport and physicality. Indeed, women’s difference from men dominated the discourse of many international women’s movements at this time. We consider what IAPESGW’s long-term governance by primarily white and wealthy women may have meant in terms of the organization’s focus and globalizing efforts and conclude that though Ainsworth’s essentialist approach ignored earlier feminist sporting movements, and would not outlast the more progressive winds of change in the 1970s, neither should her early contributions to establishing bonds among female physical educators globally be minimized.

• Gils, Bieke (2015). "Le Numéro Barbette": Destabilizing Gender on the High Wire and the Flying Trapeze. The Sports Historian. ISSN 1351-5462. doi: 10.1080/17460263.2015.1062411. Full text in Research Archive
• Gils, Bieke (2014). Flying, Flirting and Flexing: Charmion’s Trapeze Act, Sexuality and Physical Culture at the Turn of the Twentieth Century. Journal of Sport History. ISSN 0094-1700. 41(2), p. 251–268. doi: 10.5406/jsporthistory.41.2.251. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  On December 25, 1897, Laverie Vallée, better known by her stage name Charmion, made her debut in Koster and Bial’s vaudeville theater in New York City with a provocative undressing act on the trapeze and demonstrations of her upper-body muscularity. Though part of a wave of female aerialists at the turn of the twentieth century whose performances quite literally “flew” in the face of Victorian values, Charmion was among the first to take advantage of the developing photography, cinema, and print industries to promote her act and was one of Thomas Edison’s first female silent movie subjects. The carnivalesque atmosphere generally associated with vaudeville performers made provocative acts like Charmion’s not only permissible but also very popular. Her performances certainly embodied both desires and fears of a society that was forced to revisit Victorian ideals about women’s sexuality, physical prowess, and the female body more generally.

• Ameye, Thomas; Gils, Bieke & Delheye, Pascal (2011). Daredevils and Early Birds: Belgian Pioneers in Automobile Racing and Aerial sports during the Belle Époque. International Journal of the History of Sport. ISSN 0952-3367. 28(2), p. 205–239. doi: 10.1080/09523367.2011.537911. Full text in Research Archive
• Gils, Bieke (2011). “The Only Race Aviatrix in the World”: A Tribute to Bessie Coleman (1892-1926). Stadion: Internationale Zeitschrift für Geschichte des Sports. ISSN 0172-4029. 37(1), p. 55–81. doi: 10.5771/0172-4029-2011-1-55. Full text in Research Archive

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• Hognestad, Hans; Giulianotti, Richard; Langseth, Tommy; Thorpe, Holly & Gils, Bieke (2022). Environmental Sustainability in Sports, Physical Activity and Education, and Outdoor Life (edited collection). Frontiers Media S.A.. ISBN 9782889746842. 150 p. Full text in Research Archive

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• Gils, Bieke (2026). Do DEI programs “work”? What high-performance sport and art can learn from each other in designing diversity initiatives. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  The question of whether DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion) programs “work,” and if so how and why, has been widely debated across fields, yet answers remain unclear. Many well-intentioned initiatives, both at grassroots and elite levels, are not systematically followed up or critically examined in terms of how they unfold in practice (e.g., Rambøl; Sogn, 2023). Practitioners often assume that such programs contribute to increased diversity and inclusion, whereas critical scholarship suggests they may, in some cases, reproduce existing organizational cultures and power relations—particularly in mentorship-based initiatives (Foldy, 2002; Ahmed, 2012; Banwell et al., 2019, 2021; Kerr, 2026; Tica, 2025). This study examines two mentorship-based DEI initiatives: one targeting female elite coaches in sport, and another aimed at female and minority filmmakers and computer game designers. The analysis forms part of a broader project on DEI in high-performance sport and art in Norway. Aim and Research Questions The broader project examines the institutional tensions and logics (Smith, 2005; Smith & Griffith, 2022; Thornton & Ocasio, 2008; Sogn, 2023; Steen-Johnsen, 2011) that shape, facilitate, and challenge DEI work in Norwegian elite sport and high-performance art. This presentation addresses two research questions: 1. What insights can be gained from DEI initiatives in elite sport and high-performance art? 2. What might these fields learn from each other in designing and developing DEI initiatives? Theoretical Background and Literature Review The study draws on an institutional logics perspective (Thornton & Ocasio, 2008) and is inspired by institutional ethnography (Smith, 2005; Smith & Griffith, 2022). It takes practitioners’ everyday experiences as a starting point for understanding how institutional relations are enacted, and how tensions between competing logics shape DEI work in practice. It engages with critical DEI scholarship that questions taken-for-granted assumptions about such initiatives and highlights their potential to reproduce existing inequalities (Foldy, 2002; Ahmed, 2012; Banwell et al., 2019, 2021; Kerr, 2026; Tica, 2025). Rather than evaluating outcomes, the study focuses on how DEI initiatives are designed, implemented, and experienced within specific institutional contexts. Research Design, Methodology, and Data Analysis This 3.5-year research project follows two Norwegian high-performance organizations: Olympiatoppen (OLT), the central body for elite sport, and Talent Norge (TN), which supports artists through funding schemes and mentorship programs across approximately 80 initiatives. The study is based on 43 in-depth interviews with leaders in OLT and TN, leaders in affiliated organizations, and participants in DEI initiatives (“future leaders”). This presentation focuses on two mentorship programs: one for female elite coaches and one for female and minority filmmakers and computer game designers. The analysis involved systematic review of interview transcripts and documents to identify institutional tensions and contradictions. Parts of the data were shared with stakeholders in the sport sector through seminars to facilitate dialogue and ensure that emerging interpretations resonated with participants’ experiences. Data from the arts initiatives will be disseminated through a research report and follow-up activities. Analytical rigor was ensured through triangulation with literature and dialogue with experts. Results/Findings and Discussion Although elite sport and high-performance art operate with different institutional logics, both are fundamentally shaped by a strong performance orientation. Achieving success at the highest level entails multiple formal and informal selection processes, influencing access to development opportunities such as mentorship programs. This creates a central tension: while organizations aim to promote equal opportunities, they simultaneously rely on selective systems that may reproduce existing inequalities. The findings show how these tensions are reflected in program design, recruitment processes, follow-up, and perceived outcomes. A key insight is that mentorship programs do not operate in isolation but are embedded in broader organizational and institutional contexts. Their potential to challenge or reproduce power relations depends on factors such as leadership, resource allocation, and organizational commitment. In particular, leadership with diversity competence, combined with structural support and funding, appears crucial for initiatives that move beyond representation and engage with structural inequalities. Conclusion, Academic Contribution, and Implications This study contributes to critical discussions on DEI in high-performance contexts by examining how initiatives are shaped by institutional logics, organizational structures, and everyday practices. Rather than assessing whether programs “work,” it explores how they are understood, implemented, and experienced within elite sport and high-performance art. A comparative analysis highlights shared tensions between performance and inclusion, and how these are negotiated differently across fields. The study shows that mentorship-based initiatives may both challenge and reproduce power relations, depending on their design and context. It suggests that DEI should be approached as an ongoing, context-dependent process embedded in broader organizational dynamics. References: Ahmed, S. (2012). On being included: Racism and diversity in institutional life. Duke University Press. Banwell, J., Kerr, G., & Stirling, A. (2019). Towards a process for advancing women in coaching through mentorship. International Journal of Sports Science & Coaching, 14(6), 703–713. https://doi.org/10.1177/1747954119883108 Banwell, J., Kerr, G., & Stirling, A. (2021). Benefits of a female coach mentorship programme on women coaches' development: An ecological perspective. Sports Coaching Review, 10(1), 61–83. https://doi.org/10.1080/21640629.2020.1764266 Foldy, E. G. (2002). 'Managing' diversity: Identity and power in organizations. In I. Aaltio & A. J. Mills (Eds.), Gender, identity and the culture of organizations. Routledge. Kerr, G., & Banwell, J. (2016). Advancing women in coaching: Shifting from mentorship to sponsorship. Canadian Journal for Women in Coaching, 16(1), 1-4.

• Gils, Bieke & Mjøs, Katja (2026). I år favner Forskningsrådets likestillingsprosjekter bredere enn noen gang før. [Internet]. https://kifinfo.no/nb/2026/03/i-ar-favner-forskningsradets-likestillingsprosjekter-bredere-enn-noen-gang. doi: https:/kifinfo.no/nb/2026/03/i-ar-favner-forskningsradets-likestillingsprosjekter-bredere-enn-noen-gang. Full text in Research Archive
• Gils, Bieke (2025). “Our goal is not to create a gender balance, our goal is elite sport.” Diversity and inclusion challenges in Norwegian elite sport leadership. doi: https:/easm2025.com/www/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Friday_full.pdf. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Norway is often hailed as a leader in gender equality, with women occupying prominent positions in business and politics, yet also in Norway female representation in elite sports leadership remains disproportionately low. At the Paris Olympics, only 3 out of 56 Norwegian coaches were women, and female leaders in national sports federations are still rare. Additionally, leaders from ethnic minority backgrounds are almost entirely absent. It is fair to say that the Norwegian elite sports system remains predominantly white, male, heteronormative, and able-bodied, posing significant challenges in meeting the diversity and inclusion (DEI) requirements established by the government and the Norwegian Olympic and Paralympic Committee and Confederation of Sports (NIF). Aim and Research Questions This project aims to explore the institutional tensions and competing logics that both hinder and facilitate efforts to promote diversity and inclusion at the leadership level in Norwegian elite sport. More specifically, it seeks to answer the following research questions: (1) How is diversity and inclusion understood and addressed within leadership structures in Norwegian elite sport? (2) What insights can be gained from specific diversity initiatives, such as a mentorship program for female coaches? (3) What concrete measures are needed to advance diversity and inclusion in leadership roles within this context? Theoretical Background and Literature Review This project adopts an institutional ethnographic approach (Smith, 2005; Smith & Griffith, 2022) to explore how elite sport leaders’ experiences are shaped by institutional governance and to reveal what these experiences can tell us about the institutions themselves. In her institutional ethnography of Norwegian clubs and federations, Hanne Sogn identified a deeply entrenched 'masculine logic' within Norwegian elite sport that hinders women from entering the field on equal terms with their male counterparts (Sogn, 2023). Other research within the Norwegian elite sport context has highlighted a complex web of competing logics that shape the field (Steen-Johnsen, 2011; Steen-Johnsen & Hanstad, 2008), ultimately obstructing progress in gender equality (Gils et al., 2021) and hindering effective diversity and inclusion efforts (as also observed in the current study). Research Design, Methodology and Data Analysis This research project is nearing the conclusion of its three-year process. It follows two high-performing organizations: Olympiatoppen and the arts organization Talent Norge, although this presentation will concentrate solely on the sport context. Throughout the project, I have conducted over 20 in-depth interviews and engaged in informal conversations with leaders and employees at Olympiatoppen, leaders from various Norwegian sport federations, and participants in Olympiatoppen's mentorship program for female coaches, which supports women in leadership roles. In my data analysis, I systematically reviewed all collected documents and interview transcripts to identify institutional tensions and contradictions. I shared most of the data with the organizations, including female coaches in the mentorship program and leaders of sports federations, through physical seminars to facilitate dialogue, enable Olympiatoppen to refine their diversity initiatives, and ensure that my findings and preliminary thematic categorizations resonated with their perspectives. Further validation was achieved by comparing the findings with existing literature and consulting with experts in the field. Results/Findings and Discussion The results reveal several factors that hinder the advancement of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in Norwegian elite sport. Firstly, Olympiatoppen lacks a clear definition or mandate regarding DEI and does not have a structured approach to implementing it within the organization. When informants at different organizational levels were asked about the meaning of DEI, their responses varied significantly, indicating that DEI is not fully integrated into the operational logic of Olympiatoppen or its federations. According to my informants, challenges to DEI efforts include limited financial resources, lack of diversity competence, biases, power dynamics, volunteer-based boards, and the fact that DEI initiatives are often ad hoc, and depending on individual leaders' decisions and motivations. Regarding the effectiveness of the mentorship program for female coaches, which I evaluated as part of this project, the main findings align with conclusions drawn by various gender and DEI researchers. Despite the significant efforts and support provided to women, the core issue remains that women are expected to improve their skills as coaches or communicators in order to fit in. However, the real challenge lies in the need for the system and those in power to take DEI more seriously and address structural barriers. Conclusion, Contribution, and Implication This research contributes to the field of diversity and inclusion (DEI) in elite sport by revealing the institutional tensions that hinder progress in achieving gender and ethnic diversity in Norwegian sports leadership. It highlights the significant structural barriers that perpetuate a predominantly white, male, and able-bodied leadership model, even within a country celebrated for its gender equality efforts. The findings suggest that while initiatives like mentorship programs for female coaches show promise, true progress requires systemic changes, such as clearer DEI mandates, resource allocation, and addressing entrenched power dynamics. These insights have broader implications for other elite sports systems worldwide, urging a reevaluation of how DEI is understood and implemented at leadership levels.

• Gils, Bieke Magdalena J (2025). Advancing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) in Norwegian Elite Sports Leadership. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Norway is often hailed as a leader in gender equality, with women occupying prominent positions in business and politics, yet also in Norway female representation in elite sports leadership remains disproportionately low. At the Paris Olympics, only 3 out of 56 Norwegian coaches were women, and female leaders in national sports federations are still rare. Additionally, leaders from ethnic minority backgrounds are almost entirely absent. It is fair to say that the Norwegian elite sports system remains predominantly white, male, heteronormative, and able-bodied, posing significant challenges in meeting the diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) requirements established by the government and the Norwegian Olympic and Paralympic Committee and Confederation of Sports (NIF). This commissioned evaluation research project, grounded in institutional ethnography (Smith, 2005), explores these challenges in depth. It involves semi-structured interviews and informal conversations with leaders, employees, and participants in the diversity programs organized by Olympiatoppen (OLT), Norway’s governing body for elite sports. The project also includes observations of meetings, seminars, and conferences, as well as analysis of relevant documents across various organizational levels. Regular meetings with OLT’s leaders and diversity program coordinators are held to share findings and discuss strategies to improve coordination and dialogue, particularly between female elite coaches and their federations. Despite OLT’s commitment to increasing diversity, especially in terms of female leadership, deeply ingrained cultural barriers and institutional logics persist. These challenges continue to hinder the full inclusion of female coaches and prevent federation leaders from fully integrating DEI principles into all processes and selection mechanisms in elite sports.

• Gils, Bieke (2025). Equality in Women's Sport: The forces driving change and progress (panel discussion). Full text in Research Archive
• Farstad, Eli Morken; Gils, Bieke & Siddiq, Fazilat (2024). Tydelig, Kravik? p. 43–43. Full text in Research Archive
• Bratland-Sanda, Solfrid & Gils, Bieke (2023). Podcast Trenerstudenten episode 23: Pensum: Intervju som metode. [Internet]. Spotify. Full text in Research Archive
• Abdollahkhani, Zohreh; Gils, Bieke & Lippe, Gerd von der (2023). Hvilken side velger norsk idrett? 53(13), p. 20–20. Full text in Research Archive
• Abdollahkhani, Zohreh & Gils, Bieke (2023). Why Do Sports’ Gender Equality Policies Fail? Analyzing the Implementation of the IOC's Gender Equality Policies Within the NOC of I.R.Iran. Full text in Research Archive
• Gils, Bieke (2023). When the personal becomes political: reflections on feminism and activism in sport related research and mentorship. Full text in Research Archive
• Gils, Bieke (2023). Dissecting diversity in Norwegian elite sport and art. Full text in Research Archive
• Gils, Bieke (2023). Women in Norwegian elite sport: still a contested terrain? Full text in Research Archive
• Abdollahkhani, Zohreh; Gils, Bieke & Lippe, Gerd von der (2022). Idrettsprotest fra alle kanter. Full text in Research Archive
• Tangen, Jan Ove & Gils, Bieke (2022). Bærekraft – en for stor utfordring for idretten? Full text in Research Archive
• Gils, Bieke & Kunstorganisasjon, Talent Norge (2022). Hva ligger egentlig i begrepet mangfold? (s. 15). [Journal]. Oslo. Full text in Research Archive
• Lippe, Gerd von der & Gils, Bieke (2022). Women in Norwegian Track and Field between 1947 and 1980. Full text in Research Archive
• Gils, Bieke (2022). Et stort behov for konstruktivt diskusjons­­klima. https://khrono.no/et-stort-behov-for-konstruktivt-diskusjonsklima/652102. Full text in Research Archive
• Gils, Bieke; Fylkesnes, Sandra & Stine, Holm Kvisselgaard (2021). Lessons learned from the structural discrimination seminar in Bø. doi: https:/khrono.no/lessons-learned-from-the-structural-discrimination-seminar-in-bo/643076. Full text in Research Archive
• Gils, Bieke (2021). A missed opportunity?The need for critical examinations and constructive dialogues in creating socially sustainable university futures. https://khrono.no/a-missed-opportunity/593971. Full text in Research Archive
• Gils, Bieke (2021). Leadership, gender, culture: A qualitative study of Recruitment mechanisms and gendered perceptions in Trenerløftet (Olympiatoppen). Full text in Research Archive
• Tangen, Jan Ove & Gils, Bieke (2021). Er olympiske leker virkelig gull verdt? Full text in Research Archive
• Gils, Bieke & Antwi, Bright Baffour (2021). Teaching and researching sensitive topics. Full text in Research Archive
• Gils, Bieke (2021). Panelbidrag - Fagkritisk dag: strukturell diskriminering i friluftsliv og idrett. Full text in Research Archive
• Gils, Bieke (2019). Mentorship, gender relations & culture in the context of Olympiatoppen’s Trenerløftet initiative. Full text in Research Archive
• Vertinsky, Patricia & Gils, Bieke (2016). Extending the British Female Tradition in Physical Education: Movement Education Comes to Western Canada, 1950-1970. Full text in Research Archive
• Gils, Bieke (2016). “Gender, Sport and Physical Activity.” Lecture for SPSC 2205: Socio-cultural Aspects of Sport, Health and the Body, Douglas College, New Westminster, British Columbia. Full text in Research Archive
• Gils, Bieke (2015). Flying Through the Air in Search of Possibilities: Explorations of Women’s Aerial Performances around the Turn of the Twentieth Century. Full text in Research Archive
• Gils, Bieke (2013). Student Essay Prize winner: “Flirting, Flying and Flexing: Charmion’s Trapeze Act, Sexuality and Physical Culture at the Turn of the Twentieth Century. Full text in Research Archive
• Gils, Bieke (2012). “From Kinesiology and Sport History to Flying Women in Modernity” Junior Fellow Speaker (series), St. John’s College, University of British Columbia. Full text in Research Archive
• Gils, Bieke (2012). Le Numéro Barbette: Destabilizing gender on the high wire and the flying trapeze. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Around the turn of the twentieth century both the United States and Europe were witnessing an increase in leisure time possibilities and the widespread commercialization of different forms of popular entertainment. Casinos, circuses, theaters, music-halls and open air fairs drew large audiences from all ages and backgrounds. Since most forms of entertainment were generally associated with fantasy—something that was unreal and therefore relatively unthreatening—the entertainment industry offered a platform for performers to mock and challenge contemporary societal issues and instabilities. Especially after the First World War, a time of strong anxiety about the 'emasculation' of crippled soldiers and the seeming crumbling of the (Victorian) male-female binary, popular entertainment stages provided spaces in which both performers and audiences could explore new gender possibilities while questioning old ones. One of the performers who challenged and distorted ideas about 'masculinity' and 'femininity' was the aerialist 'Barbette' or Vanderclyde (1904-1973), born in Round Rock, Texas. Vanderclyde reportedly learned his high wire and trapeze skills on his mother's clothesline and started out his career as a trapeze performer with the Flying Alfaretta Sisters. One of the sisters had died and Vanderclyde, dressed as a woman, took on her role on the flying team. An ambitious perfectionist, it did not take long before Vanderclyde aspired to develop his own act—one that would bring him fame in the United States and in France (Paris) in particular. He adopted the name 'Barbette,' which not only sounded French and seemed to him more sophisticated, but also encouraged the newspapers to announce him without giving away his gender. This subterfuge became crucial for the success of his show. With her short and slender stature and fancy feathered dress and big hat, there was little doubt in the minds of the audience that Barbette was a beautiful and graceful woman. While walking down the stairs, she shed some of her clothes before negotiating the high wire on the tips of her ballet shoes. Then she would lie down on a sofa and with feminine gestures slowly take off her feathered skirt. Her next act was to swing on the rings followed by a series of spectacular leaps on the flying trapeze. When she finally took off her wig after multiple rounds of applause, the audience expressed surprise, alarm and laughter: 'Barbette is a Boy.' Barbette's performance was provocative and timely at a moment of 'gender crisis.' Drawing on Mikhail Bakhtin's concept of the carnivalesque, I argue that although gender confusion and inversion as displayed by Barbette was only possible within the space of the theater, he/she suggested new gender possibilities and showed that the gendered body is 'never finished'and always in a state of 'becoming. In addition, I will suggest that the air as a seemingly boundless medium provided a special space in which (gender) differences could be performed with less questioning. North American Society for Sport History Proceedings of the 40th Annual Conference Hotel Shattuck Plaza Berkeley, CA June 1-4, 2012

• Gils, Bieke (2011). Gigliola Gori Young Scholars award winner: "'The Only Race Aviatrix in the World': A Tribute to Bessie Coleman (1892-1926). Full text in Research Archive
• Gils, Bieke (2011). Female Trapeze Artists: Navigating the Boundaries Between Naughty and Respectable (1880-1930). Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  This paper shows how navigating the boundaries between naughty and respectable has never been easy in regard to female physicality and draws upon the exploits of female trapeze artists in circuses and vaudeville from the end of the nineteenth century through the 1930s. Aerial action, says Peta Tait, cuts across a presumption within gender politics that female bodies have things done for them for beautification and that bodily action brings about male muscles and thus masculine social power (2005:7). Challenging these assumptions about innate physical gender difference, female aerial performers in the circus were at times competitive gymnasts who executed radical feats in front of spell bound audiences. At other times, popular vaudeville artists such as Charmion undressed while performing gentle stunts on a trapeze in front of a male audience with more than a hint of innuendo and more than a trace of provocative movement. Unlike the circus, vaudeville was a boudoir business in which Charmion’s appeal was as an icon of sex and fashion rather than athleticism. Her sexualized display, however, while often criticized, was in many respects a powerful tool in loosening the restrictive mores of Victorian society and preparing the way for a more relaxed attitude toward overt displays of the female muscular body. This work in progress discusses how navigating the boundaries between naughty and respectable was never easy for female trapeze artists in circuses and vaudeville theaters. While exploring female aerialists’ history from the end of the nineteenth century through the 1930s, this study shows how these women’s agency was both hindered and furthered by the cultural dynamics and particular spaces in which their performances took place. The paper draws heavily on secondary sources to address the broad contexts of early cinema, vaudeville and circus. Following this will be an examination of both North American newspaper sources and magazines (i.e., The New York Clipper, The Billboard, Variety, The Era) and European (mostly French) sources (i.e. Le Monde Illustré, Le miroir des sports, etc.). The intention of this study is to reconstruct a feminist history of pioneer female aerialists in vaudeville and the circus, and to also tie in the various symbols and new meanings that emerged from an overall fascination with flight (flying women on the trapeze in vaudeville, circus and in aviation) in the time period under investigation. North American Society for Sport History Proceedings of the 39th Annual Conference University of Texas at Austin May 27-30, 2011

• Gils, Bieke (2010). “Bessie Coleman and the African American Aviation Dream.” Invited lecture on historical research methods at the Center for Women’s and Gender Studies, University of British Columbia. Full text in Research Archive
• Gils, Bieke (2010). Flights for Rights: An Interpretation of the Life of African-American Aviator Bessie Coleman (1896-1926). Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  During the 1920s and ’30s there was an observable increase in women’s participation in American aviation sport and industry. World War I had raised awareness about women’s capabilities in jobs initially executed solely by men (i.e. positions in nursing and the weapons industry) and women’s suffrage in 1919 helped to contribute to the new ideal of the ‘liberated woman.’ It was, therefore, not a coincidence that many women associated the new phenomenon of aviation—and especially the ability to fly—with freedom and independence. Flying in its early years was mainly the privilege of a few white middle- and upper-class women who sought to earn a living, become a celebrity, further women’s cause in aviation (and society), but mostly because they enjoyed the liberating feeling flying offered them. For many such women aviation became a means for upward social mobility. In this light the accomplishments of African-American aviator Elizabeth (Bessie) Coleman in the early 1920s were remarkable, although they have remained largely undiscussed by white historians. Not only did Coleman face many barriers of prejudice because she was a woman, her skin colour added to her difficulties in gaining a respected place in aviation sport and industry. While providing a broad historical context, I want to examine the life and career of African-American aviator Bessie Coleman through the critical feminist concept of intersectionality. As a lower-class black female in the male-dominated arena of aviation sport and industry, Coleman had to negotiate not just gender but also issues around race and class. Although she faced many difficulties, more than her white female counterparts, it is my contention that she successfully used her social location to her advantage. As primary sources regarding this aviator are scarce and given that Coleman did not keep a diary or write an autobiography, I combine primary sources, such as archival material and newspaper articles with the few secondary sources available that critically assess Coleman’s life and accomplishments. Drawing on my previous research, which addresses white women in American aviation sport and industry during the interwar period, I now attempt to compare the situation of this white group of female pilots with Bessie Coleman’s pursuit of an aviation career. Although my paper heavily relies on secondary sources, especially on feminist researcher Elizabeth Amelia Hadley Freydberg’s book, entitled: Bessie Coleman. The Brownskin Lady Bird (1994), I attempt to bring sociology and feminism more to the forefront, while embedding it in its era’s social, political and historical dynamics. It needs to be acknowledged that my study only touches upon the interesting life and career of Bessie Coleman. It is therefore my intention to further extend this research by relating it to struggles black women in the past experienced in their attempts to enter male-dominated occupations, sports in particular. North American Society for Sport History Proceedings of the 38th Annual Conference Coronado Springs Resort, Orlando, Florida May 28-31, 2010

• Gils, Bieke (2009). Gender Issues in the United States Aviation Industry, 1920-1940: A History of Opportunities and Disillusionment. Full text in Research Archive
• Gils, Bieke (2009). Pioneers of Flight: An Analysis of Gender Issues in United States Civilian (Sport) and Commercial Aviation 1920-1940. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  The 1920s and 1930s are often referred to as the ‗golden age‘ for women who aspired a career in the United States aviation industry. Although women‘s roles as pilots in World War I had been minimal, aviatrices became significantly involved and highly visible in United States civilian (sport) and commercial aviation between 1920 and 1940. Many aviatrixes participated in flying competitions, such as air races or record setting attempts and several of them held positions in commercial aviation as test pilots, flight instructors, airplane salespersons, flying chauffeurs or aerial photographers. According to historian Joseph Corn, the significant female involvement in United States aviation between 1920 and 1940 stemmed from the needs of an industry in transition. The sceptical public had to be convinced that airplanes were safe and easy to operate and women‘s involvement stemmed from this notion. Under the assumption that women were frail, timid, and unknowing of the mechanics of aircraft, airplane manufacturers hired female pilots to promote their planes. Drawing on feminist standpoint theory, this study employs a critical feminist discourse analysis while utilizing a historical narrative voice. As feminist standpoint theory suggests, a full understanding of women‘s perspectives on their realities can only be gained through studying their experiences from the unique perspective of these women. The researcher therefore places women, and in this case aviatrixes, at its center by focussing on the aviatrixes‘ own written accounts. Amongst other related archival sources, a great deal of these personal accounts have been accessed in the Smithsonian Institutions‘ National Air and Space archives in Washington D.C. The primary question asked is: How did aviatrixes negotiate issues of gender in United 185 States civilian aviation and secondarily, in commercial aviation between 1920 and 1940? Furthermore, the Transcontinental Women‘s Air Derby, organized in Cleveland, Ohio in 1929, which has been crucial to the debate on women‘s flying (in)competency, serves as the study‘s focal point. Conclusions suggest that aviatrixes – in their attempt to gain a foothold in the male dominated field of aviation – used restrictive societal views on their flying abilities to their advantage. The aviatrixes‘ conformation to feminine norms resulted in their high visibility and allowed them to openly challenge gender stereotypes. However, their attempts to break out of the limiting societal conventions on their flying abilities were difficult and particularly disillusioning by the end of the 1930s. North American Society for Sport History, Proceedings, 37th Annual Conference of NASSH, Crowne Plaza Asheville, Ashville, North Carolina, May 22–25, 2009

• Gils, Bieke (2008). Belgian Performers in a French Magazine: An Analysis of the Magazine La Vie au Grand Air (1898-1914). Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  La Vie au Grand Air (LVGA) was one of the many richly illustrated sport magazines that stressed the elitist character of sport and its performers during the Belle Époque (1890-1914). This flourishing period was characterized by a desire for innovation and spectacular technology, which was also obvious in the practice of sports. Cars, airplanes, balloons, and yachts were upper class playthings, used to increase prestige and to distinguish from lower classes. In this study, we analyze the role of Belgian sportsmen and sportswomen in the seventeen volumes (April 1989- August 1914) of LVGA. A content analysis, for which both qualitative and quantitative data were collected, was used to explore salient sport tendencies. Belgian sports performers dominated motor sport in general, and car racing in particular. René de Knyff, Camille Jenatzy and Arthur Duray are just a few examples of frequently mentioned and honored Belgian car racers in LVGA. Belgians excelled in cycle races as well. Track cycle racers, such as Charles van den Born, Louis Grognat and Jean Broka, were very successful until 1909. Thereafter, road cycle racers such as Cyrille Van Hauwaert and Odille Defraye dominated the cycle racing circuit in France. Remarkably, a considerable shift to aviation could be detected around 1909. Belgian car racing pioneers, such as Arthur Duray and several cycle racers, such as Charles van den Born, who was mentioned the most (82 times) in LVGA, were involved in early aviation by that time. Most noteworthy here are the lower class sports performers Jan Olieslaegers and Hélène Dutrieu. Thanks to their successes in cycle racing, the path for their successes in motor sports and aviation was paved. Moreover, Dutrieu was one of the few female sportswomen mentioned in LVGA, which is illustrative for the masculine character of sport during the Belle Époque. Since little was known about the international successes of Belgian sportsmen and sportswomen in the Belle Époque, the analysis of LVGA offered new insights in Belgian sports history. It is obvious an extensive sporting network was in place in which Belgian sportsmen and women were involved; for different sport disciplines often the same names appeared in LVGA. Hence, it would be interesting to study the entire international sports network of early sport pioneers. The fact that some Belgian sportsmen and women (for example René de Knyff, Arthur Duray and Hélène Dutrieu) decided to become French citizen, provides a strong argument for such an international approach. Proceedings from the 36th Annual NASSH Conference, Hilton Lake Placid, Lake Placid, New York, May 23-23, 2008

• Gils, Bieke (2026). Sammen om like muligheter (SOLM): Mangfold i høytpresterende miljøer i norsk idrett og kunstverden (137 p.). Universitetet i Sørøst-Norge/Universitetet i Søraust-Noreg. ISSN 9788284830940. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  «Sammen om Like Muligheter» (SOLM) er et samarbeid mellom Olympiatoppen (OLT), Talent Norge (TN), Sparebankstiftelsen DNB og Norsk Tipping i perioden 2021–2026. Målet er å styrke mangfoldet i ledende posisjoner innen norsk toppidrett og kunstfeltet. Denne rapporten oppsummerer et treårig følgeforskningsprosjekt gjennomført av Universitetet i Sørøst-Norge (USN), som fulgte mangfoldsarbeidet i perioden 2023–2025. Toppidrett og kunst fremstår som ulike felt, men deler viktige strukturelle trekk: begge er høytpresterende miljøer med sterk vekt på talentutvikling, prestasjon og synlighet. De er organisert rundt portvokterorganisasjoner – OLT og TN – som har stor innflytelse over hvem som får tilgang til ressurser og muligheter. Dette gir dem et særlig ansvar for rettferdige og inkluderende seleksjonsprosesser. Samtidig opererer begge felt i komplekse landskap preget av forventninger fra politikk, marked og medier, noe som skaper spenninger som påvirker mangfoldsarbeidet. Prosjektet undersøker hvorfor mangfold i ledende posisjoner fortsatt er begrenset, hvordan tiltak gjennomføres og oppleves, og hvilke grep som kan styrke mangfoldig ledelse.

• Gils, Bieke & Vertinsky, Patricia (2013). WOMEN WHO FLY: AERIALISTS IN MODERNITY (1880-1930). The University of British Columbia. Full text in Research Archive
• Gils, Bieke (2009). Pioneers of Flight: An Analysis of Gender Issues in United States Civilian (Sport) and Commercial Aviation 1920-1940. University of Windsor. Full text in Research Archive
• Hecke, Etienne Van; Maesschalk, Filip De; Gils, Bieke & Verbestel, Vera (2008). Behoeften aan Sportinfrastructuur in Vlaanderen: een Ruimtelijke Analyse. Leuven University Press. Full text in Research Archive

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