Sing when you’re women: why it’s time to take female sports fans seriously
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Stacey Pope, Durham University
When it comes to sports, die-hard fans are often thought of as the men in the crowd. But my new research shows, that despite popular stereotypes of women lacking sporting knowledge or only being interested in the sexual attractiveness of (male) star players – female fans are just as passionate and committed to their clubs as the men.
Based on a host of intensive interviews with football and rugby union fans from three generations in one area in the UK (Leicester), my latest findings show that, unlike the stereotypes, sport plays a hugely important role in the lives and identities of many female fans.
Perhaps in part because of these popular (and sexist) assumptions and stereotypes of female fans, very little research has examined women’s experiences as sports fans. Most studies have instead focused exclusively on male supporters and issues of fan rivalry and hooliganism.
My work tackles head-on the lack of research on female sports fa...
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