The Woman in Black: Exposing Sexist Beliefs About Female Officials in Elite Men’s Football

Women football observers' experiences: a perspective from system justification and glass ceiling

Introduction

The legitimization theory of the system explains that despite people's inherent drive towards personal and group interests, they tend to support social systems. Understanding the sources of social pressure and the glass ceiling perceptions of female football observers is the main aim of this study in terms of examining attitudes within the legitimized system. To this end, the study sought to answer how female football observers are constructed in a marginalized position within the male-dominated football culture through sources of social pressure, and how they accommodate the acceptance of legitimizing the system despite encountering glass ceiling barriers in the context of Turkey.

Method

Data for the research were collected through in-depth individual interviews (9 female observers) using qualitative research methods. The collected data were analyzed using thematic analysis. After a comprehensive analysis of the interview transcripts, four themes emerged.

Findings

Gender-based positive and negative experiences; Glass Ceiling: Organizational Factors; Legitimization of Hierarchy-Reducing Myths; and Hope for Future Intragroup Progress within the Current System.

Recommendations

Our analysis reveals that female football observers, identified as match officials, indicate changes in authoritarian attitudes within recent institutional policies during their stadium experiences, characterized towards a more rational, female observer, and referee-focused stance. Additionally, entrenched stereotypes and legitimizing myths reducing hierarchy appear to generally establish legitimacy for female match officiating within the legitimization process. The research results suggest the importance for policymakers in the central referee committee in Turkey to consider the dimensions of legitimization both verbally and in writing when creating policies regarding women.

Gender inclusive sporting environments: the proportion of women in non-player roles over recent years

Background

Throughout the ecosystem of sport, women have been and continue to be underrepresented at all levels compared to men. The capacity of community-level sport is heavily reliant on the many non-player roles including governance, as well as administration, coaching and officiating. Recently there has been increased attention to improving the gender balance in sport. The aim of this study is to investigate the proportions of women engaged in non-playing roles in sport (2016–2018).

Methods

This study involved secondary analysis of the AusPlay survey, a national population survey, funded by Sport Australia. This study utilised data from people aged 15-years or older about their involvement in non-playing roles in sport, and their demographic data. Survey respondents were asked “During the last 12 months, have you been involved with any sports in a nonplaying role, such as official, coach, referee, administrator, etc?” Analysis of non-player role responses focussed specifically on the top four non-player role categories; coach, official, administrator and manager. Frequency analysis concentrated on the distribution of men and women involvement in a non-player capacity for the three years, with detailed analysis of the most recent year (2018).

Results

In this study of 61,578 Australians there was a higher proportion of men in non-player roles in sport compared to women, across each of the three years (2018: men 55 %, women 46 %). Involvement of women in coaching increased significantly from 38 % to 2016 to 44 % in 2018 (p < 0.001). The proportion of women involved in administration roles significantly decreased from a peak of 51 % in 2017 to 46 % in 2018 (p < 0.001).

Conclusions

Aligned with strategic policy and investment strategies, there are gradual increased representation of women in non-playing sport, coaching roles. Women are still underrepresented in terms of coaches, officials and administrators, but are more likely to be managers. It is recommended that there is continued mentoring, identification and emphasising of female role models, and further strategies to increase female presence in non-playing roles. We recommend that future research, in line with appropriate gender and cultural-change theories, investigates and discusses the progress of gender equality throughout playing and non-playing role in sport.