Of the 2,858 licensed competitive road cyclists in Texas, female cyclists only
account for 12%. The gender disparity in participation numbers suggests possible
underlying barriers to entry, recruitment, and retention of female athletes compared to
that of male cyclists. The current study sought to understand such issues by exploring the
entirety of the competitive road cycling experience of female cyclists in Texas. To
accomplish such a task, the current study utilized a mixed methods design consisting of
content analysis, interviews, and an online survey. Integrating methods allowed for a
more comprehensive understanding of the individual as impacted by structural, socio-
cultural, and individual factors and further reveals how such factors are interrelated and
mutually reinforcing. Results revealed how socio-culturally informed gendered attitudes
and norms heavily impact structural policies, rules, and regulations within competitive
cycling. Subsequently, structural factors influenced individual choices, attitudes, and
behaviors. Further, results emphasized that individuals are complex beings, and although
shaped by their environment, embody personal agency, resistance, and coping.
Individual decisions, attitudes, and desires subsequently shaped socio-cultural norms and
structural processes. Finally, structural reform strategies are suggested to help increase
female participation and retention rates within competitive road cycling in Texas. / text
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:UTEXAS/oai:repositories.lib.utexas.edu:2152/ETD-UT-2010-05-1446 |
| Date | 02 November 2010 |
| Creators | Forrest, Katherine Elizabeth |
| Source Sets | University of Texas |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | thesis |
| Format | application/pdf |
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