Prevalence of Mainstream Gender-Related Issues in Sports: Female Student Athletes’ Perceptions

Year 2018, Volume: 6 Issue: 2, 203 - 209, 22.06.2018

Awashes Subba

Abstract

This study aims to examine female student athletes’ perceptions on gender-related issues in
sports through a quantitative survey. Three hundred and forty-two (N=342) female student
athletes studying physical education in under graduate courses were selected from different
colleges of Sikkim. Gender-related issues were assessed by using questionnaire based on
Likert scale developed by Jafrey (1995). Out of forty-three items in the scale, ten items were
selected as relevant for assessing perceptions of female student athletes regarding gender
issues in sports. Percentage analysis of responses to each statement was calculated. Result
showed that the perception of the female student athletes about the gender-related issue (see
table-1) in sports is mostly positive; it means that the gender-related problems do exists in
sports. Female student athletes opined that the gender-related problems restrict women’s
participation in sports. The study also revealed that female student athletes disagreed with the
notion that vigorous participation in games and sports leads to loss of femininity among
women. This finding suggests that it is necessary to make improvements in support system for
female student athletes of colleges for their participation in sports.

Keywords

Female students, athletes, gender, sports

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