Research
Diversity & Social Justice
30
Nov
2012
Political activism, racial identity and the commercial endorsement of athletes
International Review for the Sociology of Sport
With a focus on African American male athletes as product endorsers, the purpose of this study was to examine the influence of activism type and level of racial identity on perceptions of trustworthiness and athlete-product fit. Participants (N = 73 White undergraduate students) participated in a 2 (activism type: anti-obesity, anti-war) × 2 (level of racial identity: low, high) experimental study. Results indicate that perceptions of trustworthiness were highest when the athlete was engaged in non-controversial activism and had a strong racial identity. These perceptions were significantly associated with endorser-product (i.e. New Balance shoes) fit, even beyond the effects of activism type, level of racial identity, and athlete attractiveness. Results are discussed in terms of theoretical and practical implications.Journal Paper
15
Aug
2012
Analysis of Homologous Reproduction in Community College Athletics
Journal for the Study of Sports and Athletes in Education
The purpose of this study was to examine the presence of homologous reproduction in the community college context. The authors analyzed the gender of the athletic director, women’s basketball head coach, softball head coach, and volleyball head coach at 611 community colleges. Results indicate that most athletic directors (82.7%) were men. Chi-square analysis indicated that the gender of the athletic director was statistically associated with the gender of the head coach for both women’s basketball and softball, as well as the likelihood of homogeneous staffs (i.e., the three head coaches all being either female or male). Results are discussed in terms of implications for practice.Journal Paper
22
Mar
2012
Politics in sport and physical activity
Sociology of sport and physical activity
The notion of politics and sport is not new, as articles, books, and book chapters have been devoted to capturing the espoused ideologies (see Black & Nauright, 1998; Sage, 1998), movements (see Edwards, 1969; Hahn, 1984; Wheeler, 1978), and experiences of groups (Abney, 2007; Anderson & South, 2007) in regards to these interactions. So, how does this chapter add to or fill the gap of existing writings on politics and sport? Utilizing a critical theoretical lens (see Carter, 2010), our goal is to present, or more specifically, provide a generational vantage when we: a) define the meaning of sport, b) understand the relationship between sport and politics; and, c) contextualize how the notion of ideologies and power in politics impacts sport and physical activity throughout four generations.Book Chapters
16
Apr
2017
College sport leadership: Systemic racial employment barriers
Sport and discrimination
Blacks in US sports have made significant strides since the landmark signing of Jackie Robinson by the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947. While racial integration improved opportunities for black sport participation on a large scale, this was not the case for black leaders in sport, the owners, managers, athletic directors, and coaches. As Rhoden (2006: 139) suggests, “The key to the ultimate appeal of integration for white coaches was that it would not mean a corresponding loss of power; in essence, whites could have their cake and eat it, too.” This pattern continues to exist at the many levels of U.S. sports, but it is the collegiate level that currently exhibits the slowest progression in equitable positioning of blacks as athletic leaders.Book Chapters
09
Jul
2014
The Racial Divide in College Football Coaching: Gatekeepers Dictating the Winners and Losers
Texas A&M University Libraries
Black head football coaches in NCAA collegiate athletics continue to be numerically marginalized. A common problem exposed in the literature is the tendency for researchers to approach the study of black coach underrepresentation from a lens that places racial discrimination as a “potential” cause of the black coach predicament. As a result, when examining the racial inequality in college athletics many of the theories utilized lack a critical race-based framework, thus minimizing the focus and severity of the race problem. These theoretical approaches also neglect to recognize that sport is a functioning piece of the larger cultural, economic, and political environments. Moreover, these frameworks are absent of an agenda to interrogate the gatekeepers, the whites who hold the hiring decision authority, which suggests these individuals are not responsible for the race problem in sport leadership. Minimizing racism and the scope of its impact sends a message that sport is a unique institution, one where its issues are independent from society at large. This study makes up for these limitations. Guided by systemic racism theory, the purpose of this study was to apply a mixed-method design to better understand racial inequality within the leadership structure of NCAA collegiate football programs. Part I compared various performances between black and white head coaches. Results revealed that although there were no differences in performances between coaches, black coaches were terminated significantly sooner than white coaches. Part II obtained insights from mock hiring committees (n = 290) – in regards to ascribed attributes, perceptions of job fit, and hiring recommendations - to determine how job candidates, varied by race and qualifications, are rated on becoming a head football coach within a Division I athletic program. Results, through ratings and commentary, showed qualified candidates were viewed more favorably than unqualified candidates, white candidates were viewed more favorably than black candidates, and while both white and black candidates were viewed similarly positive within their respective qualification categories, white participants were harsher on both qualified and unqualified blacks than non-white participants were. Recommendations are discussed in terms of both theoretical and practical directions for change.Dissertation
The Racial Divide in College Football Coaching: Gatekeepers Dictating the Winners and Losers
Dissertation
About The Publication
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13
Oct
2014
Systemic Racism Theory: Critically Examining College Sport Leadership
Out of Bounds: Racism and the Black Athlete
The purpose of this chapter was to introduce the systemic racism theoretical framework (Feagin, 2006) to college sport to better facilitate in analyzing both the dominant positioning of whites and the lack of advancement of blacks in leadership positions. As a critical sociological theory, systemic racism has strategically and critically illustrated historical-to-contemporary, deep-to-surface level, and society-wide links of racial oppression, through empirical facts and the application of its six primary tenets. Because sport represents a microcosm of society, reflecting its ideals, hierarchies, and problems (see Edwards, 1973; Eitzen & Sage, 1997; Sage, 1998), systemic racism theory guided the current chapter in uncovering a racial oppressive reality in the leadership structure of college sport. The chapter further illustrates the significance of positioning racism in the sporting context if real change is to occur, as well as offers practical directions for change.Book Chapters