‘It’s freer and easier in a changing room, because the barriers disappear…’ a case study of masculinity ideals, language and social status amongst Swedish ice hockey players

Abstract

Previous research has identified sports-related risk factors that can cause acts of violence outside the sporting milieu. The purpose of this case study is to examine the ideals, language and social status of male ice hockey players and determine whether and how they affect their views of sexuality, aggressiveness and actions outside the ice hockey milieu. The method and material are based on a qualitative content analysis of interviews with six senior ice hockey players in Sweden. Research on masculinity and violence theoretically inspires the study. The findings show that expectations and norms can create increased status in a team and at the same time can also make it difficult for players to fully follow their own values and inner guides. In other words, players can be themselves, yet sometimes have to toe the line and follow the group (even if they do not always want to). Another finding is the dilemma of silence and the difficulties that players face in setting limits for team-mates who, for example, joke in a diminishing and inappropriate way. The article ends with a discussion about the challenges that these results entail regarding progressive (violence-preventative) work within ice hockey at the individual and structural levels.

The need for a violence prevention programme in ice hockey: a case study on how hegemonic masculinity supports and challenges violent behaviour in Swedish ice hockey

“…For instance, works by Curry (1991Curry ( , 1998Curry ( , 2000 have described how some male teams demonstrate support for violence against women and a sexist, aggressive and negative attitude towards women and femininity. Similar results have also been found in the Swedish context (Alsarve & Angelin, 2019;Andreasson, 2006;Fundberg, 2003). Being a central part of a patriarchal society, it should come as no surprise that as well as training athletes to be healthy and strong, some sports also train and unintentionally foster their participants in traditionally masculine, anti-feminist attitudes that could include the use of violence (in a broad sense) towards other men and towards women (Crosset et al, 1995;Flood & Dyson, 2007).…”

“…Another study in this same project indicates that sexism, alcohol consumption, homophobia and devaluating attitudes towards weakness et cetera is still prevalent in (some) Swedish hockey environments (Alsarve & Angelin, 2019). However, the coaches in this study claimed that the language in the changing room had changed for the better over the past 20-30 years.…”

“…to break 'the spiral of silence' (Noelle-Neumann, 1974;Steen-Johnsen & Enjolras, 2016). The coaches in this study, and in the interviews with players in the project as a whole, indicate that the power of the team is considerable in such issues (Alsarve & Angelin, 2019). As a best practice, the intervention should eliminate the risk of 'whistleblowers' being perceived as 'traitors' by the dominant group (Flood, 2019).…”

“…In Swedish and other contexts, researchers have confirmed the content of misogyny and sexism in male team sports (e.g. Alsarve & Angelin, 2019;Andreasson, 2006;Fundberg, 2003;Katz, 1995;Luisi et al, 2016;Messner, 1992;Messner & Sabo, 1994). With its focus on how to engage men and boys in violence prevention, Flood's (2019) work helps us to understand such content as a fundamental and initial step in eradicating men's violence against women and other men.…”

Beating the buzzer: The construction of ageing hockey masculinity

“…Scholars of sport have all but forgotten the hockey played by those late(r)-life men, as well as their participation in team sports more widely. Although the youthful hockey of boys and younger men warrants some scholarly examinations (Allain, 2008;Alsarve and Angelin, 2020;MacDonald, 2018), once that hockey is played by the old, scholarship drops off significantly. A search of the terms "hockey" and "ageing/aging" in EBSCOhost's SocINDEX produced no meaningful results.…”