Sport Sociology Article Critique

The sport of traditional Greco-Roman wrestling received a scare in 2012 when it briefly lost its Olympic status due to prevailing gender inequality issues. Though wrestling is one of the original events to be featured in the classic Greek Olympics, officials proved that no sport was safe if it did not provide equal opportunities for men and women participants. The purpose of this paper is to provide a critique of a current peer-reviewed article pertaining to gender issues in sport participation. A brief summary of the article will first be provided, followed by a critical analysis of its findings and implications for the field. This critique will conclude with a brief summary and outline of key points. 

Summary

In a recent study published in Psychology of Sport and Exercise, Chalabaev, Sarrazin, Fontayne, Boiche and Clement-Guillotin (2013) examined the current gender roles and sex stereotypes that exist in modern sport. Specifically, these authors sought to determine the role these factors play in determining sport participation among male and female athletes. Drawing on a systematic narrative review format, Chalabaev and colleagues (2013) posited that the degree to which male and female athletes participate in various sports depends largely on the natural socialization process that occurs when they are young. Ultimately, these authors suggested that two major factors were responsible for determining male or female sport participant, including: the situation or environment; and the content of any existing stereotypes within this environment. According to Chalabaev and colleagues (2013), conceptualizing sport participation in this manner is helpful for identifying the multiple factors that determine how much stereotypes impact a particular athlete, as well as how to resolve current gender inequality problems in not only sport but sports media as well. 

Critique

Chalabaev and colleagues' (2013) research offers a unique perspective on the role stereotypes play in sport, as well as how they impact athletes differently. In contrast to the internalization approach proposed by researchers such as Vartanian and Novak (2011), the current authors suggest that the situation and the nature of the existing stereotypes have an equally influential role in determining sport participation. Although no empirical research was conducted, Chalabaev and colleagues (2013) present a strong case that understanding the impact of gender stereotypes is not as simplistic as previously thought. Unlike previous models, these researchers have gone to great lengths to prevent the potential underlying mechanisms that dictate how a particular athlete will respond to stereotypes. For example, the former internalization model suggests that one's gender identity, self-perception, and perceptions of the activity are the strongest predictor of participation in a particular sport in which stereotypes are present. While not refuting this model, Chalabaev and colleagues extend this explanation by contending that situational primes (e.g., task characteristics and social categories), as well as the perceived threat of the stereotype, also influence participation. 

Chalabaev and colleagues' (2013) work is clearly a step forward in the understanding of gender stereotypes and sport participation. Drawing back to the example of wrestling, researchers could utilize Chalabaev and colleagues' (2013) model to predict future female participation based on these aforementioned situational characteristics. In countries in which female stereotypes are more traditional and a greater threat is perceived in response to female sport participation (e.g., Eastern Europe; the Middle East), researchers could reasonably expect to observe limited improvement (Ahmad, 2011). Conversely, more equality-minded nations, such as the United States and Canada, would likely see sharp rises in participation due to less situational priming and a reduced stereotype threat. Overall, Chalabaev and colleagues' (2013) situational model appears to be an efficacious approach for understanding gender stereotyping and sport participation. 

Conclusion

The purpose of this paper was to provide a critique of a peer-reviewed article in the field of sport sociology. Specifically, research related to sport participation and gender stereotyping was presented, as well as a new model for understanding the situational determinants of participation. Although no empirical data was collected in the study, the model appears to be a step forward in the understanding of gender stereotyping. Future researchers are advised to draw on this model for a more holistic and accurate depiction of the multiple factors that determine participation in sports throughout the world. 

References

Ahmad, A. (2011). British football: where are the Muslim female footballers? Exploring the connections between gender, ethnicity and Islam. Soccer & Society, 12(3), 443-456.

Chalabaev, A., Sarrazin, P., Fontayne, P., Boiche, J., & Clement-Guillotin, C. (2013). The influence of sex stereotypes and gender roles on participation and performance in sport and exercise: review and future directions. Psychology of Sport and Exercise, 14(2), 136-144. 

Vartanian, L. R. & Novak, S. A. (2011). Internalized societal attitudes moderate the impact of weight stigma on avoidance of exercise. Obesity, 19(4), 757-762.