The social production and reproduction of traditional forms of masculinity has been associated with various sports including football. The purpose of this case study was to examine language as one particular feature of an all-male football environment. More specifically, the study focused on the narratives accompanying interactions on the football field, in the locker room, and at team social gatherings for one Canadian interuniversity football team, and examined the function of these narratives as well as their interpretation by the players. A triangulated methodology was used and information pertaining to the narratives was gathered through: (a) a content analysis of official documents including guidelines regarding the behavior and language of interuniversity football players; (b) a participant observation of the players' interactions and narratives; and (c) in-depth interviews with a sample of the players. Results of the study indicate that racist narratives are very rare, but that sexist, homophobic, violent and macho narratives are prevalent within this football subculture, as well as narratives related to pain and injury. The main functions or reasons identified for those narratives were: (a) conformity or peer pressure, (b) insecurity, (c) need to demonstrate superiority over teammates, opponents, and selected social groups, (d) male bonding and need to have a common language, (e) need to uphold the stereotypical tough "masculine" football image, and (f) isolation associated with an all-male environment. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:uottawa.ca/oai:ruor.uottawa.ca:10393/10403 |
| Date | January 1995 |
| Creators | Colatosti, John G. |
| Contributors | Rail, G., |
| Publisher | University of Ottawa (Canada) |
| Source Sets | Université d’Ottawa |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | 142 p. |
Page generated in 0.5048 seconds