IRE researchers' study in IJOC highlights persistent gender stereotypes in contemporary sports series
The article, published in the International Journal of Communication (Annenberg School, USA), stems from the Gendered-Sports-Fiction project led by Anna Tous. The findings by authors from UAB and VIU confirm that women remain invisible and relegated to secondary roles in scripted series.
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The study examines how audiovisual narratives perpetuate "false empowerment" tropes that distort real gender equality in sports
The research conducted by professors Anna Tous, Natividad Ramajo, and PhD student Elena Fedotova (UAB), alongside professor Raquel Crisóstomo (VIU), examined 208 characters across 15 European and American series. Quantitative data reveals that women remain underrepresented as players, coaches, and executives in fiction aired between 2018 and 2023. The analysis confirms that, despite some surface-level changes, the power structures in these narratives continue to favor white male hegemony.
To further explore the impact of these portrayals, focus groups were conducted to gather audience perceptions. The results show a clear divide: men tend to reject feminist claims, while female viewers identify the persistence of traditional stereotypes. This discrepancy proves that male audience reception is rooted in the reaffirmation of hegemonic masculinity within the sporting world.
The study employs the concept of "false empowerment" to describe how sexist clichés persist under a veneer of modernity. The research concludes that the analyzed sports fiction often rejects the demands of contemporary feminism, maintaining discriminatory gender roles that resurface in new themes and formats.