Gender roles and sports in adolescent girls

Abstract

A sample of 43 girls aged 10–15 years were interviewed about their own sports participation, that of their peers, and about their expectations of girls' sports activities. The reasoning behind their answers was also explored. The interview material was analysed in relation to the following issues. First, whether the sports fitted previous accounts of the gender stereotyping of specific sports. Secondly, the gender-intensification hypothesis, which predicts that sports activities will decrease in early adolescence. Thirdly, Ullian's (1976) account of changes with age in beliefs about gender roles, which predicted less flexible explanations for gender roles at younger ages. The results showed that a wide variety of sports were played by the respondents and their peers, including some which were stereotypically masculine, notably soccer. There was a much clearer demarcation between sports expected or not expected to be played by girls, and between those they and their peers played or would not play. Age differences mainly reflected which sports were available on the curriculum. There was no evidence that girls give up playing stereotypically masculine sports in early adolescence, as predicted by the gender-intensification hypothesis. Ullian's hypothesis that younger ages perceive gender roles more in terms of fixed conventions than personal choice was supported.