How The Expectations of Masculinity Affect Young Men In Sport And Physical Activity
The aim of this thesis is to look in detail how a group of young men have experienced modern day masculinity in the field of sport and physical activity. Most literature does not examine masculinity and men’s experiences as a sole topic but uses it to be compared to the experiences of more marginalised groups. In the literature review theories of masculinity are covered such as; hegemonic masculinity theory, hypermasculinity, tortured masculinity and inclusive masculinity theory. Bourdieusian theory is also introduced with literature around the four forms of capital and concepts such as habitus, doxa and field. By interviewing 22 men aged between 18-25 and analysing their experiences using Bourdieusian theory, masculinity theory and narrative analysis. Using narrative analysis four groups were constructed: ‘Laddish Masculinities’, ‘Navel-Gazing Lads’, ‘Diluted Masculinities’ and ‘Nonconforming Masculinities’. This study found that some men prefer participating in sport with more diverse groups such as mixed gendered sports and groups with multiple ethnicities or socioeconomic backgrounds. This study also found that even though some men consider themselves to be particularly masculine they also believe that they act in inclusive manners which is often supported by their actions. Contrary to these findings, some participants believe sport and, by extension, society have a long way to go before being considered fully inclusive. Social class and ethnicity was key in how masculinity is presented, which is especially seen within the engagement with lad culture and drinking within university sport societies. Future research may build upon this thesis by examining changing masculinities on a more global scale and asking if inclusive masculinity is limited to Western society or not. Future research may also observe the influence of private education on masculinity and ‘lad culture’, specifically around drinking culture at university and how to predict and prevent excessive alcohol consumption.
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