Dispelling the Myths: Sport, Masculinity and Inclusion

Long considered an enclave of “the boys”, our current socio-cultural climate raises important questions about the often exclusionary practices witnessed within locker rooms and male-dominated spaces within sport culture. Consider for example, recent debates around allyship at the 2022 FIFA Men’s World Cup, sexual assault scandals that shook Canadian hockey, or the president of Spain’s soccer federation, Luis Rubiales, non-consensually kissing player Jenni Hermoso following Spain’s win at the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup. We are repeatedly struck by a troubling pattern of exclusionary practices reclaiming sport as a traditionally and rigidly masculine space with both a damaging and alienating impact. Our conversation is designed to examine and disrupt narratives about sporty boys, athlete activism, and bodily practices within sport.

Drawing on qualitative data from recent research, we centre on diverse male-identifying athlete voices negotiating sport culture and the implications of being “one of the boys” whilst also stepping out of the shadows of heteronormative masculinity. As such our conversation both showcases the ways masculinities are progressive while also considering the pressures and routine negotiations of masculinity from within and among “the boys”. We consider the broader possibilities for change as well as the challenges for educators addressing misogyny and normative masculinity amidst the growing popularity of influencers like Andrew Tate. Exploring recurring themes including athlete activism, mental health, body image issues, and gender-based violence, our talk provokes a conversation that extends beyond previous assumptions about sport, masculinity, and inclusion and considers the broader implications of engaging boys and men as allies and change agents. We conclude this conversation by further questioning who the boys are and how sport culture might continue to grow as an inclusive and diverse space for all.

Chair: Dr Becky Watson.

Lunch is generously provided by The Research Chair of Masculinities Studies at the Werklund School of Education, the University of Calgary. This will be available to attendees in the CSS Atrium, following the seminar.