Journal of Sport Management and Development

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Sport and Women's Identity Development in Iran

Document Type : Research Paper I Open Access I Released under (CC BY-NC 4.0) license

Authors

1 PhD Candidate in Sport Management, Department of Sport Management, Faculty of Sport Sciences, Shahrood University of Technology, Shahrood, Iran

2 Assistant Professor of Sport Management, Department of Sport Management, Faculty of Sport Sciences, Shahrood University of Technology, Shahrood, Iran

3 Associate Professor of Sociology, Department of Social Sciences, Faculty of Humanities, University of Guilan, Guilan, Iran

Abstract

Objective: The present research was conducted with the aim of investigating the role of sport in women's identity formation in Iran.
Methodology: This study was conducted using an exploratory mixed-methods approach. In the qualitative phase, a constructivist grounded theory approach (Charmaz) was employed, while the quantitative phase utilized Fuzzy DANP, a technique within multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM). The qualitative sample included female athletes at amateur, championship, and professional levels, as well as national team coaches and academic experts in sports management and sociology specializing in women’s sports research, until theoretical saturation was reached. In the quantitative phase, 15 experts knowledgeable about women’s sports and professional female athletes were selected. The research instruments comprised semi-structured interviews for the qualitative phase and a Fuzzy DANP pairwise comparison questionnaire for the quantitative phase.
Results: The analysis of 380 initial codes in this study resulted in 41 focused codes (concepts), which were ultimately reduced to 9 main categories. Eight of these primary categories were identified as influential factors in women’s identity formation and subsequently prioritized using the Fuzzy DANP pairwise comparison method. The results of the Fuzzy DANP analysis indicate that these factors do not have equal influence. Among them, the role of coaches (0.1317) emerged as the most influential factor in the identity formation process, followed by empowerment of women in other aspects of life through sports (0.1302), gender stereotypes (0.1293), and enhancement of women’s psychological strength through sports (0.1287). In contrast, factors such as overt gender discrimination (0.1269), gendered perspectives on sports disciplines (0.1212), obstacles created through regulations (0.1177), and low levels of women’s physical literacy (0.1141) ranked lower in terms of influence.
Conclusion: The process of women’s identity formation through sport is primarily influenced by supportive and empowering factors, particularly the role of coaches, whereas structural barriers and gender-based discrimination exert a comparatively lesser impact. Therefore, strengthening the role of coaches, enhancing empowering sports opportunities, and reforming discriminatory policies can facilitate the identity development of women in the athletic context.

Keywords

Main Subjects

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Journal of Sport Management and Development
Volume 16, Issue 1 - Serial Number 49
Spring - 49
March 2027
Pages 47-73
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History
  • Receive Date: 04 July 2025
  • Revise Date: 29 September 2025
  • Accept Date: 29 September 2025
  • Publish Date: 21 March 2027
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