"Coaching soccer is a man’s job!" – The influence of gender stereotypes on structures for recruiting female coaches in soccer clubs

Schlesinger, Torsten; Weigelt-Schlesinger, Yvonne (2013). "Coaching soccer is a man’s job!" – The influence of gender stereotypes on structures for recruiting female coaches in soccer clubs. European Journal for Sport and Society, 10(3), pp. 241-265. Waxmann

Preview

Text ejss2013_Vol10_Issue3_Schlesinger-Weigelt-Schlesinger_Coaching soccer is a man s job–The influence of gender stereotypes on structures for recruiting female coaches to soccer clubs.pdf - Published Version Available under License Publisher holds Copyright. Download (252kB) | Preview

Statistics published by the German Football Association indicate that women are significantly under-represented amongst soccer coaches, especially in the amateur leagues. In this paper we analyse how gender stereotypes influence the structural conditions surrounding the recruitment of coaches to soccer clubs that contribute to the exclusion of women from coaching positions. A qualitative study of five selected soccer clubs which are members of a German regional soccer association reveals that informal and personal decision-making practices still play a fundamental role in the recruitment of coaches. These practices undermine formal guidelines and give disproportionate weight to stereotyped preferences in the recruitment of soccer coaches. In this context, decision-makers' (functionaries') professed support of women largely serves a symbolic purpose and creates an illusion of equality concerning decisions that have already been taken at an informal level.

Interest & Impact

Downloads

625 since deposited on 20 Feb 2014
122 in the past 12 months

Citations

5 Citations in Web of Science ®
6 Citations in Scopus

Search

in Google Scholar™

Services

Actions (login required)

Edit item

Actions (login required)

Edit item