Tomboys and Sissies? The effects of gender stigmas in sport on children's participation choices
Open Access
- Author:
- Schmalz, Dorothy L.
- Graduate Program:
- Leisure Studies
- Degree:
- Doctor of Philosophy
- Document Type:
- Dissertation
- Date of Defense:
- May 06, 2004
- Committee Members:
- Deborah Lee Kerstetter, Committee Chair/Co-Chair
Linda L Caldwell, Committee Member
Frank B Guadagnolo, Committee Member
Robert Scott Kretchmar, Committee Member
Elizabeth C Pinel, Committee Member - Keywords:
- stereotypes
gender
sport
children - Abstract:
- The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between gender schema, stigma consciousness, and sport participation among boys and girls in grades 3 through 5. Although relationships between gender schema and sport participation have been examined previously, this study took the unique approach of also investigating consciousness of gender stigmas. A mixed method approach was employed in which quantitative data were obtained from self-administered questionnaires and qualitative data were collected from one-on-one interviews. Despite efforts to encourage gender equality across many social domains, perceptions of gender and “appropriate” behavior and participation according to sex persist. Among the most notable are social prescriptions in sport, where masculine characteristics such as competition and aggression are definitive. Arguably, children as young as those explored in this study have yet to develop a gender identity, and should therefore be immune to social influences pertaining to gender. At the outset, this population was chosen so as to provide a foundation on which to build a longitudinal study in which the same population would be investigated as their gender identities became more salient throughout adolescence. However, results from the quantitative and qualitative data indicated that children of this age group are aware of gender typed sports, and curb their participation accordingly. This was found to be particularly true for boys, who are socially expected to demonstrate masculine qualities. Behavior to the contrary results in a stigma of being too feminine or “girlie,” a detail that became clear in the qualitative component of the study. Girls on the other hand, although aware that boys’ sports exist, did not experience the same limitation in their participation. For the most part, research investigating gender and sports to date has concentrated on the constraints and limitations afforded girls and women. Yet, the findings of this study suggest that boys and men may in fact experience greater restriction in their participation options than girls and women. Suggestions for future research include investigating these relationships among an older population, such as the longitudinal study discussed previously using the same sample, and to put some research effort into exploring the social pressures and limitations to which boys and men are exposed in regard to their sport participation.