Shifting Currents: A World History of Swimming

Shifting Currents is an original and comprehensive history of swimming that examines the tension between non-swimming northerners and African and Southeast Asian swimmers, who were attracted to and repelled by the water due to its association with witchcraft and sin. Europeans used Africans and Native Americans' swimming skills to justify enslaving them, while northerners wanted to claim waters power for themselves. This unresolved tension still sexualizes womens swimming and marginalizes Black and Indigenous swimmers today.

Format: Hardback
Length: 304 pages
Publication date: 16 May 2022
Publisher: Reaktion Books

Shifting Currents: An Original and Comprehensive History of Swimming

In her groundbreaking work, "Shifting Currents: An Original and Comprehensive History of Swimming," Karen Eva Carr delves into the intricate and often contentious relationship between non-swimming northerners and African and Southeast Asian swimmers. Through a meticulous examination of archaeological, textual, and art historical sources, Carr unravels the complex dynamics that shaped this interaction.

One of the central themes of the book is the tension that arose when these two groups encountered each other in the water. Northerners, accustomed to a different swimming culture, often viewed swimming as uncanny, associated with witchcraft, and sinful. This perception was further reinforced by the European colonizers who used the swimming skills of Africans and Native Americans to justify enslaving them. However, northerners also sought to harness the power of the water for themselves, imagining that swimming would bring them health and demonstrate their scientific modernity.

This unresolved tension continues to shape the sexualization of women's swimming and the marginalization of Black and Indigenous swimmers today. Carr's work offers a fresh perspective on race, gender, and power on a centuries-long scale, challenging our understanding of these issues and highlighting the ongoing struggles for inclusivity and equality in the world of swimming.

The history of swimming provides a unique lens through which to examine these complex dynamics. By exploring the ways in which swimming has been both embraced and rejected by different cultures and societies, Carr sheds light on the ways in which power, privilege, and identity are intertwined. She also highlights the ways in which swimming has been used as a tool for social and political activism, from the civil rights movement in the United States to the fight for water rights in Africa.

In conclusion, "Shifting Currents: An Original and Comprehensive History of Swimming" is a must-read for anyone interested in the history, culture, and politics of swimming. Through her meticulous research and insightful analysis, Karen Eva Carr has provided a valuable contribution to our understanding of this fascinating sport and its impact on society.

Weight: 872g
Dimension: 167 x 240 x 43 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781789145786