“I Am Not a Cow”: Challenging Narratives of Empowerment in Teen Girls Sports Fiction

Whiteside, Erin; Hardin, Marie; DeCarvalho, Lauren J.; Carillo, Nadia Martinez; Smith, Alexandra Nutter

doi:10.1123/ssj.30.4.415

Cited by 15 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 35 publications

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“…Scholars have also critically examined representations of various populations in sports-related YAL, helping teachers to consider how novels in the subgenre depict specific groups of people in the sports world, including lesbian athletes (Mason, 2014), female athletes playing male-dominated sports (Whiteside, Hardin, DeCarvalho, Carillo, & Smith, 2013), adolescent-athletes more broadly (Lewis & Rodesiler, 2018), and even coaches (Crowe, 2004). We focus here on Crowe's analysis of fictional athletic coaches, as his work is foundational to our current study.…”

Section: Sports-related Young Adult Literature In the Secondary Engli...mentioning

confidence: 99%

"I Thought Coaches Were Supposed to Set an Example"

Rodesiler¹

2019

ALAN

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Section: Sports-related Young Adult Literature In the Secondary Engli...mentioning

confidence: 99%

"I Thought Coaches Were Supposed to Set an Example"

Rodesiler¹

2019

ALAN

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“…Of course, considerable advancements pertaining to women in sport have taken place over the past century. For instance, the implementation of Title IX in the United States spurred a movement to celebrate female athletes and recognize women sport leaders in popular culture (Adams & Leavitt, 2018;Whiteside, Hardin, DeCarvalho, Carillo, & Smith, 2013). Nevertheless, female representation and recognition in sport have yet to catch up to that of their male counterparts.…”

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confidence: 99%

Reading Between the Lines: Gender Stereotypes in Children’s Sport-Based Books

Coletti

Allan

Martin

2021

Women in Sport and Physical Activity Journal

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A child’s first contact with media and culture typically comes from books they are exposed to in the home and at school. The narratives presented contribute to the early reinforcement of gender roles and norms and can greatly influence the way that young girls perceive and experience sport. The purpose of this study was to explore the narratives within sport-based books geared toward a young female audience to determine the extent to which they promote the engagement of girls in sport. A pragmatic literature search was conducted to obtain books that met our inclusion criteria. Books (n = 28) were analyzed based on the age of their intended audience (aged 3–5, 6–8, and 9–12 years) using thematic narrative analysis. Although the authors promoted the engagement of girls in sport, underlying gender stereotypes were nevertheless salient. Across the books, themes involved the emphasis of “feminine” sports as a context for diversity and learning, the need to understand development as a process, the importance of relationships, and implications pertaining to perceptions of capability as female athletes. Most importantly, the application of a critical feminist lens enabled us to identify an underlying theme—the reinforcement of gender stereotypes—that permeated the storylines and served to undermine the potential adaptive messaging intended by authors. These findings suggest the need for greater attention toward the complexity of female sport and a cultural shift in thinking toward gender equity rather than simply increasing sport access for female participants.

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“…As LaVoi et al (2007) indicated, "sport media research has lacked investigation of mediums that impact non-elite youth athletes and adolescent girls, and youth coaches and parents of young female athletes" (p. 9). In addition, the majority of sport media research has focused on print and broadcast journalism; sport literature has been severely neglected (Kane, 1998;Kriegh & Kane, 1997;Roper & Clifton, 2013;Singleton, 2004Singleton, , 2006Whiteside, Hardin, DeCarvalho, Carillo, & Smith, 2013).…”

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confidence: 99%

Representation of Athletic Girls on Young Adult Sport Fiction Cover Art

Roper

Santiago

2021

Women in Sport and Physical Activity Journal

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The purpose of this study was to examine how and how often athletic girls were represented on the cover art of young adult (YA) sport fiction. In this research, 154 YA sport fiction books were analyzed using quantitative content analysis. Using existing sport research and theory focused on women’s representation in sport media, the researchers developed a coding scheme to assess cover art for each of the following categories: (a) presence and racial representation of female character/s on cover; (b) portrayal of female body on cover (whole body, partial body/with head, or partial body/without head); (c) portrayal of female character as active or passive; (d) portrayal of female character in or out of athletic uniform; (e) portrayal of female character in or out of the sport setting; (f) presence of sport equipment; and (g) type of cover. Findings revealed that 81% of the book covers had a female character in which 29% of the covers displayed the whole body, 47% displayed partial body/with head, and 23% displayed partial body/with no head of the female character. Only 0.06% of the book covers had a female character of color. Approximately 31% of the female characters were displayed in active positioning, 58% in athletic attire, and 44% in the sport setting. Of the books reviewed, 55% displayed equipment on the cover. The findings indicate that athletic girls have few images on YA sport fiction cover art that accurately represent their athleticism, and there is a clear absence of diverse representation. It is critical that those responsible for the design and layout of book covers clearly represent active females in action, in uniform, and in the sport context.

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“I Am Not a Cow”: Challenging Narratives of Empowerment in Teen Girls Sports Fiction

Cited by 15 publications

References 35 publications

"I Thought Coaches Were Supposed to Set an Example"

"I Thought Coaches Were Supposed to Set an Example"

Reading Between the Lines: Gender Stereotypes in Children’s Sport-Based Books

Representation of Athletic Girls on Young Adult Sport Fiction Cover Art

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