Open AccessAmerican College Football and Homophobia: An Empirical Study
Author(s) -
J Chris Ashton,
Derek Van Rheenen,
Laura Pryor
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
journal of education and culture studies
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2573-041X
pISSN - 2573-0401
DOI - 10.22158/jecs.v4n3p171
Subject(s) - football , homosexuality , college football , psychology , gender studies , social psychology , faith , general social survey , sociology , political science , law , philosophy , theology
This study examines how male hegemony in team sports, such as football, promote homophobia as a form of symbolic violence and a powerful mechanism of social control. The research included the survey administration of the Attitudes Toward Gay Men (ATG) scale (Herek, 1984, 1994) to one Division I college football team on the west coast of the United States, measuring participants’ relative levels of homophobia. Findings indicate that approximately two-thirds (n=65) of the members of this college football team reported a positive attitude towards homosexuality within this study, while roughly one-third of respondents had negative attitudes toward gay men. Level of religious faith, regardless of denomination, was the best predictor of participants’ attitudes toward homosexuality. Finally, the article discusses the study’s limitations, directions for future research and implications to enhance a more open and inclusive climate within American college football.