Women's futsal at a Brazilian university: does the academic social environment influence prejudices against the players?

Abstract

Prejudice against women's futsal players is reported in the literature. The perception of prejudice in university futsal may be lower due to the higher educational level of the players and a more open-minded context. This study aimed to describe the experience of young women university futsal players and to explore their perspective on gender prejudice in that sports practice. Methods: Ten women university futsal players (aged 18 to 30 years old) were interviewed. Data were produced and analyzed following a grounded theory approach. Results: The results showed that the athletes perceived they suffered gender prejudice for playing futsal, however, in the university context this was attenuated. The participants experienced diversified practice before specializing in futsal and felt that the support of male family members and friends was important to their engagement in futsal and soccer in childhood and adolescence. However, they also suffered from prejudice against their futsal practice coming from family and friends, struggling with the constant association between futsal practice and hegemonic masculinity. Conclusion: The participants of this study perceived less prejudice in university women's futsal in comparison to other sports contexts. Thus, the university context may have the potential to boost the practice of futsal among women.