Gender Bias in Theoretical Perspectives: The Case of Female Socialization Into Sport

Abstract

Using female socialization into sport as an example, this paper empirically examines whether existing conceptual and methodological perspectives pertaining to sport may be gender-biased. A social role-social systems approach, previously applied to male sport socialization and purported to predict a high degree of sport involvement when positive social influences are exerted by significant others, was applied to female athletes and nonathletes. Results from several stepwise regressions suggest that this conceptual approach does not adequately capture the process that pertains to females, as more variance is accounted for in the case of nonathletes, who have lower levels of sport involvement. The implications of such findings suggest that existing conceptual notions pertaining to sport socialization may in reality be a more accurate portrayal of gender role-appropriate behavior in sport rather than actual sport role behaviors.