Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Athletic Identity And Conformity To Masculinity Based On Different Types Of Sports, Julie James

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Introduction: Researchers have examined hegemonic masculine norms and athletic identity in regard to athletes in order to understand how traits such as aggression, violence, heterosexual self-presentation, exclusivity, etc., are positively reinforced in America’s sporting culture. The expectations for aggressive sport athletes to use their bodies as weapons, play through injuries, and suppress their empathy makes transitioning into their off-field daily lives difficult. Although researchers have examined how and why college football players conform to masculine norms and an athletic identity, little is known about how these constructs do or do not manifest within the athletes of different types of sports. …