Gender Relations, Gender Equity, and Community Sports Spaces

Abstract

This study employs a spatial analysis to critically examine gender relations within an Australian football and netball community sports club that has sought to address gender inequity and promote the participation of women across the club. Notable changes included increased female representation in the club’s decision-making structures, growing numbers of female members, and the establishment of a women’s and girls’ football section. Using an in-depth case study that combined interviews and observations over a 6-month period, we investigated the impact these changes have had on transforming gender relations and in challenging perceptions of the club as a privileged space for its male members. The study utilized spatial and feminist theory to illustrate that, despite the club’s efforts to change gender relations, men who are able to embody dominant forms of masculinity (i.e., high ability and able-bodied) continue to be privileged within the club environment. The article highlights the importance of spatial analysis in illuminating the ways in which various micro-level practices preserve dominant gender relations within community sports. The findings reinforce that although a greater number of women and girls are participating in community sport, this alone is not significantly reshaping gender relations. Policies seeking to promote gender equity in sport need to enforce changes in club environments in addition to focusing on increasing women’s participation.

Theorizing Community for Sport Management Research and Practice

“…A clear example is the institutionalized practices and cultural norms in many sports clubs that constrain girls' and women's access to participation and leadership positions, and devalue or trivialize their achievements (e.g., Burton, 2015 ). There are numerous studies in sport that show the ways that cultural hegemonies of sport perpetuate the white, male, heteronormative, able-bodied model, and serve as a form of social control by regulating access to various realms of sport (e.g., Anderson, 2009 ; Jeanes et al, 2020 ). Several examples of hegemonic control within sport organizations were explored in a special issue of Sex Roles (Cunningham and Sagas, 2008 ; Fink, 2008 ).…”

The female-friendliness of New Zealand's tennis clubs

“…It is widely recognised that sport is inextricably linked with notions of masculinity, and sport settings are a prominent place where dominant gender relations are constructed, legitimised, and perpetuated. Relatively few studies have focused on the relationship between gender and community club-based sporting spaces (Jeanes et al, 2021). Sport clubs are not always supportive of female participation and the exclusionary capacity of sport clubs is well documented (e.g.…”

“…Collins, 2014;Spaaij et al, 2014). Sport clubs that only recognise male sporting achievements on walls, and a lack of visibility of females throughout the club can be deterrent for female participation (Fowlie et al, 2021;Jeanes et al, 2021).…”

“…They can feel outnumbered, and this can be an intimidating environment (Casey et al, 2017;Rowe et al, 2018). However, the increasing number of women participating, coaching and administrating sport, and considerable growth in participation in male-dominated sports are resulting in changes in the contemporary sport landscape (Jeanes et al, 2021) and this includes clubs as facilities in which women and girls engage. To facilitate women and girls' participation in sport, facilities, and the wider club environment, needs to be comfortable and safe (Oxford & Spaaij, 2017;Spaaij, 2013).…”

“…Carmona and Ezzamel (2016) refer to 'spacings' as a way that space is portioned according to priorities, and as a demarcation of who holds the position and power within a space. In community clubs, male sport is often prioritized through the inequitable allocation of resources (Jeanes et al, 2021). Such unequal allocation of community sport club 'spaces' can include boy's and men's teams having priority access to facilities, while female's teams were required to play and train on lower quality surfaces, smaller spaces and further away from the main club rooms (Jeanes et al, 2021;Ozturk & Koca, 2021).…”