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Abstract
Relying on cultural transmission, social identity and self-categorization theories, this study uses an innovative two-part photo-pasting and survey method to investigate quantitatively and qualitatively non-fans’, fans’ and players’ assumptions about what positions black and white players should occupy in American football. Both white and black players and fans showed evidence of being cultural transmitters of racial ideologies associated with the quarterback position in American football. Overall, the respondent choices for quarterback diverged significantly from equality but not significantly from the reality of the National Football League. Players and fan and non-fan participants alike showed evidence of being cultural consumers and transmitters of racial ideologies associated with the quarterback position. Narrative reasons for player choices aligned with past literature about racial stereotypes. On most measures, the findings did not differ greatly among the institutions from which study participants were drawn, their diversity in geography, racial composition, ideology, athletic division and public–private status notwithstanding.
Notes
1. According to College Data, colleges considered small have fewer than 5000 students. Medium colleges range between 5000 and 15,000 students. Large universities have populations over 15,000 students.
2. Because study participants were to be given equal numbers of black and white players from which to choose, racial equality is defined for the purposes of this study as a 50–50 split between black and white player choices for each position.
3. The 2013–2014 NFL season was the most recent season during which data were collected for the present study. According to Johnson (Citation2013), seven of the 32 starting quarterbacks in the NFL were black.