Gender, Whiteness, and Power in Rodeo

Tracey Owens Patton is director of African American and diaspora studies as well as professor of communication in the Department of Communication and Journalism at The University of Wyoming. Sally M. Schedlockreceived her BA and MA degrees in communication from the University of Wyoming. She has rodeoed since she was a small child and continues to barrel race.

• Preface: Why Study Rodeo A Girl Howdy of a Beginning: An Introduction to RodeoChapter One: Circle the Wagons and Let’s Talk Rodeo: The Foundation of Rodeo and the Myth of the WestChapter Two: The Equality Cowgirl Can Just LeDoux It: The Golden Age of Cowgirls in the ArenaChapter Three: Neo-Victorian Cowgirl Can Git ’Er Done: The New Dichotomized Role for CowgirlsChapter Four: Pin-Up Cowgirl has to Head ’Em Up and Move ’Em Out: A New Era of the Silver Screen with Cheesecake and Pin-up CowgirlsChapter Five: Sex Kitten Cowgirl Knows Money Is in the Mane: Sex, Status, and SalaciousnessChapter Six: Back to Equality Says Let ’Er Buck: The Return to Equality in the ArenaChapter Seven: Let’s Go, Let’s Show, Let’s Rodeo: Ethnic Minority Involvement in RodeoChapter Eight: Concluding Thoughts: Cowgirl Up, We’re More than Barbie and Big Hair! Rodeo Definitions

This book, which is about much more than 'gender, whiteness, and power in rodeo,' encompasses the history of women and ethnic minorities in the settling and historical retelling of the West. The authors attempt to historically categorize the various periods of women's participation in the sport of rodeo in the West. From neo-Victorian and pin-up to sex kitten, women have always played a significant role in rodeo performance. Conditions did not 'improve' for women in the twentieth century in the sport; the marginalization of women reflected larger currents within American gender norms and the growing professionalization of rodeo. The authors complicate the narrative by discussing ethnic women and men within rodeo, reflecting the multiculturalism within the sport and the West.... The story that the authors relate is important enough that students of western history, gender, and sport will all find the book valuable. The authors include a significant number of photos and illustrations to demonstrate how women were culturally represented in rodeo. Summing Up: Recommended. Undergraduates and above.