An Investigation Into Identity Formation Via Participation In Sports And Consumption Of Mediated Sports
Open Access
Author:
Reagan, Kevin Michael
Graduate Program:
Humanities
Degree:
Master of Arts
Document Type:
Master Thesis
Date of Defense:
April 24, 2015
Committee Members:
Peter Jones Kareithi, Thesis Advisor/Co-Advisor Robin Redmon Wright, Thesis Advisor/Co-Advisor
Keywords:
Sports ideology identity Ideological State Apparatus discourse
Abstract:
This study sought to develop a better understanding of the role that participatory sports and consumption of mediated sports play in shaping one’s identity. The quantitative and qualitative study questioned identity formation at three levels: playing sports as a child, continuing to play sports as an adult and consuming sports via mass media. Louis Althusser’s theory of Ideological State Apparatuses and other scholar’s research on public pedagogy suggest that there are institutions, such as the media and sports, which serve as sites where we learn who we are as individuals. A total of 135 surveys were collected using online snowball sampling. The results suggest that sports do have a role in shaping identities, as males reported significantly higher levels of agreement than females. Additionally, older populations differently with playing sports as a child than younger populations who were less removed.
