Hoops, nets, and ballots : investigating the relationship between competitive sport socialization and political participation of female candidates
Date
2010
Authors
Coffman, Jeffrey
University of Lethbridge. Faculty of Arts and Science
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Lethbridge, Alta. : University of Lethbridge, Dept. of Political Science, c2010
Abstract
Although more women are successfully breaching the social, economic and
political barriers that can prevent them from participating as electoral candidates, few
women campaign for elected office. A dearth of female candidates may be
understandable, given research demonstrating that women tend to avoid competition and
competitive environments. Thus, elections – competitive by design – may attract fewer
women than men. This thesis posits that the inherent competitiveness of electoral politics
may deter women from campaigning for office. However, this work also forwards that
competitive sport socialization during adolescence may prepare women for electoral
competition. This paper examines the results of a self-administered survey mailed to 449
female candidates for municipal office. The survey investigated candidates’ adolescent
experiences in competitive sports and attitudes relating to internal political efficacy. The
results appear to demonstrate a strong correlation between competitive sport socialization
and either positive or neutral evaluations of political competition.
Description
x, 163 leaves ; 29 cm
Keywords
Women -- Political activity , Women politicians , Women political candidates , Competition (Psychology) in adolescence , Competition (Psychology) in youth , Female high school athletes , Female middle school athletes , Political participation , Dissertations, Academic