1 research outputs found
âItâs like equality now; itâs not as if itâs the old daysâ: an investigation into gender identity development and football participation of adolescent girls
This article explores the influence participating in football has on the development of adolescent girlsâ gender identity, an area which currently lacks academic attention. Data were taken from an ethnographic study with a group of adolescent girls and boys and compared to Jeanesâ research. A social constructionist framework was deployed with links to both critical theory and feminist literature. Qualitative and participatory methods were used to fully engage with the complex issue of gender identity. The girls within this study were aware of the normative gender expectations linked to âbeing a femaleâ but did not find this restrictive. The girls moved between many changing identities and organised their âweb of selvesâ accordingly. The apparent need to measure success by the parameters of male standards created a barrier to girlsâ identity development