Female Basketball Participation: Negotiating the Conflation of Peer Status and Gender Status from Childhood through Puberty

The adolescent transition is characterized by heightened social pressure to conform to gender expectations from peers & increased female sports attrition. However, few studies examine how gender shapes physical activity participation in peer contexts. Through qualitative life-history interviews...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:The American behavioral scientist (Beverly Hills) 2003-06, Vol.46 (10), p.1405-1422
Main Author: Shakib, Sohaila
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adolescent Development
Females
Peer Relations
Sex Role Identity
Social Status
Sports Participation
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:The adolescent transition is characterized by heightened social pressure to conform to gender expectations from peers & increased female sports attrition. However, few studies examine how gender shapes physical activity participation in peer contexts. Through qualitative life-history interviews with high school basketball players, this study explores female sports participation & attrition throughout adolescence. To what extent do pre- & postpubertal sporting experiences differ for girls? Results indicate that before & after puberty, girls' peer statuses & gender statuses are conflated. Female popularity (peer status) often contradicted (high status) basketball player. At both time points, girls had to renegotiate a tension between popularity (peer status) & athleticism. However, a postpubertal failure to emphasize femininity &/or downplay skills led peers to question girls' heterosexuality. Therefore, homophobia may be complicit in female sports attrition. Modifiable social processes in peer contexts are identified for post-Title IX gender equity education. 65 References. [Copyright 2003 Sage Publications, Inc.]
ISSN:0002-7642
DOI:10.1177/0002764203251481