Parental Influence on Gender Self Concept of Mexican-American High School Female Athletes

• In Event: 308 - Section on Sociology of Sex and Gender Refereed Roundtable Session and Business Meeting
  In Refereed Roundtable 60min: Table 05. Gender, Sexuality, and Identity: Session III

Abstract

Since the passing of the Title IX, women have increasingly participated in athletics, received college athletic scholarships, and played sports professionally (Ten Key Areas of Title IX). While this may be true for many racial and ethnic groups, Mexican American female athletes face unique cultural and gender-role expectations, including within the context of family. Consequently, it is important to examine how these expectations impact Mexican American women and their athletic participation, especially during formative high school years. This study examines the influence of parents on Mexican-American female athletes’ gender roles and athletic participation, and includes interviews of 17 high school female athletes from 3 different Chicago public high schools. These women were all Mexican American athletes that participated in one or more competitive sports at their high school. Interviews focused on how gender roles and expectations influence their athletic participation. Some Mexican American female athletes are discouraged from athletics because their parents encouraged traditional “female” roles. Mexican American female athletes also struggle with feeling masculine because they are made to feel that they are more aggressive and competitive than female non-athletes, characteristics they believe are more masculine.

Authors

• Jocelyn Gamboa, University of Illinois at Chicago

• Jasmine Zavala, University of Illinois at Chicago