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Singled Out: A Narrative Exploration Into Sexuality, Sport, and Masculinity

Sierra, Daniel M
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=bgsu1368464612

Abstract Details

2013, Master of Education (MEd), Bowling Green State University, Human Movement, Sport and Leisure Studies /Sport Administration.
At the present time, gay men in sport are still a largely unexamined group. Currently, Jason Collins of the NBA is the only openly gay male athlete competing in the four major professional team sports in the United States: football, basketball, baseball, and hockey. Much of the research that does exist is based on Connell's (1990) theory of hegemonic masculinity. This theory contends that society values a single form of masculinity over all others, and that sport in particular functions to reproduce this singular identity, valorizing traits such as strength, toughness, and aggression (Connell, 1990). This system creates hierarchies, with the most hegemonically masculine men at the top of the structure, and in a position to dominate over women and less masculine men (Anderson, 2005; Messner, 2002). Historically, homophobia has acted as the main tool to police the actions of men, especially in a sport context (Anderson, 2011; Pronger, 1990). Thus, it is an immense struggle for gay male athletes to come out and express their sexuality openly on their teams. New research is emerging that suggests the climate in sport is changing, and that greater social acceptance of homosexuality is making its way into the realm of sport. This qualitative, narrative analysis aims to provide a rich examination into the experiences and perceptions of gay male athletes. Eight current and former gay intercollegiate athletes were interviewed from a variety of sports. Through the use of a layered narrative approach, the participants'; stories were placed at the forefront of the analysis, allowing for unique and valuable new insight into the changing relationship between sport, sexuality, and masculinity.
Amanda Koba (Advisor)
Vikki Krane (Committee Member)
Sungho Cho (Committee Member)
133 p.
American Studies; Education; Educational Leadership; Gender; Gender Studies; Glbt Studies; Health Education; Higher Education; Higher Education Administration; Kinesiology; Minority and Ethnic Groups; Physical Education; Recreation; Sports Management; Sports Medicine
masculinity; sport; sexuality; gender; gay male athletes

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Sierra, D. M. (2013). Singled Out: A Narrative Exploration Into Sexuality, Sport, and Masculinity [Master's thesis, Bowling Green State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=bgsu1368464612

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Sierra, Daniel. Singled Out: A Narrative Exploration Into Sexuality, Sport, and Masculinity. 2013. Bowling Green State University, Master's thesis. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=bgsu1368464612.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Sierra, Daniel. "Singled Out: A Narrative Exploration Into Sexuality, Sport, and Masculinity." Master's thesis, Bowling Green State University, 2013. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=bgsu1368464612

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

bgsu1368464612
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© 2013, all rights reserved.
This open access ETD is published by Bowling Green State University and OhioLINK.