"It's not for fun anymore": perfomance of masculinity as a source of stress among professional soccer players in South Africa

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dc.contributor.advisorKaminer, Debbieen_ZA
dc.contributor.authorDe Abreu, Chantelle Silvaen_ZA
dc.date.accessioned2017-01-23T07:52:22Z
dc.date.available2017-01-23T07:52:22Z
dc.date.issued2016en_ZA
dc.description.abstractYouth from lower socio-economic status communities have been reported to perceive involvement in sport, and the potential of a career therein, as important for social mobility and identity. Males from these communities have been reported to make more of an investment in sport since it is perceived as the main source of supporting a family, as well as establishing a sense of hegemonic masculinity, as other options are often limited. The research aims of this study were to determine the stressors that South African professional soccer players face, with a focus on how masculinity shapes their experience of stress. The study examined how the pursuit of hegemonic masculinity is played out amongst elite South African soccer players and how this influences the personal and professional stressors that players have to negotiate. Semi-structured interviews with ten male athletes aged between 21 and 33 years from a professional soccer club in Cape Town, South Africa were conducted. Thematic analysis, adopting the lens of masculinity theories, was used to identify themes that emerged from the data. Across the interviews what strongly emerged were the off-field performances of masculinity which indicated how gaining acceptance in professional soccer is performed through a lifestyle of consumer products, women, fame, alcohol and partying. The data indicated how soccer provides an alternative way of life to gangs and crime in which men can still attain masculinity. However, with the option of attaining masculinity through soccer, came its own set of challenges as participants indicated the disparity within a soccer player's identity between the fantasy and the reality of being a professional soccer player. In addition there were also challenges to the ability of participants to access on-field performances of masculinity. This study adds to the literature on stress amongst athletes by exploring how social identity, and particularly masculinity, mediates experiences of stress amongst professional soccer players. It highlights the opportunity and need for the development of appropriate player well-being programmes which can be used to support professional athletes.en_ZA
dc.identifier.apacitationDe Abreu, C. S. (2016). <i>"It's not for fun anymore": perfomance of masculinity as a source of stress among professional soccer players in South Africa</i>. (Thesis). University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Humanities ,Department of Psychology. Retrieved from http://hdl.handle.net/11427/22904en_ZA
dc.identifier.chicagocitationDe Abreu, Chantelle Silva. <i>""It's not for fun anymore": perfomance of masculinity as a source of stress among professional soccer players in South Africa."</i> Thesis., University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Humanities ,Department of Psychology, 2016. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/22904en_ZA
dc.identifier.citationDe Abreu, C. 2016. "It's not for fun anymore": perfomance of masculinity as a source of stress among professional soccer players in South Africa. University of Cape Town.en_ZA
dc.identifier.ris TY - Thesis / Dissertation AU - De Abreu, Chantelle Silva AB - Youth from lower socio-economic status communities have been reported to perceive involvement in sport, and the potential of a career therein, as important for social mobility and identity. Males from these communities have been reported to make more of an investment in sport since it is perceived as the main source of supporting a family, as well as establishing a sense of hegemonic masculinity, as other options are often limited. The research aims of this study were to determine the stressors that South African professional soccer players face, with a focus on how masculinity shapes their experience of stress. The study examined how the pursuit of hegemonic masculinity is played out amongst elite South African soccer players and how this influences the personal and professional stressors that players have to negotiate. Semi-structured interviews with ten male athletes aged between 21 and 33 years from a professional soccer club in Cape Town, South Africa were conducted. Thematic analysis, adopting the lens of masculinity theories, was used to identify themes that emerged from the data. Across the interviews what strongly emerged were the off-field performances of masculinity which indicated how gaining acceptance in professional soccer is performed through a lifestyle of consumer products, women, fame, alcohol and partying. The data indicated how soccer provides an alternative way of life to gangs and crime in which men can still attain masculinity. However, with the option of attaining masculinity through soccer, came its own set of challenges as participants indicated the disparity within a soccer player's identity between the fantasy and the reality of being a professional soccer player. In addition there were also challenges to the ability of participants to access on-field performances of masculinity. This study adds to the literature on stress amongst athletes by exploring how social identity, and particularly masculinity, mediates experiences of stress amongst professional soccer players. It highlights the opportunity and need for the development of appropriate player well-being programmes which can be used to support professional athletes. DA - 2016 DB - OpenUCT DP - University of Cape Town LK - https://open.uct.ac.za PB - University of Cape Town PY - 2016 T1 - "It's not for fun anymore": perfomance of masculinity as a source of stress among professional soccer players in South Africa TI - "It's not for fun anymore": perfomance of masculinity as a source of stress among professional soccer players in South Africa UR - http://hdl.handle.net/11427/22904 ER - en_ZA
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/11427/22904
dc.identifier.vancouvercitationDe Abreu CS. "It's not for fun anymore": perfomance of masculinity as a source of stress among professional soccer players in South Africa. [Thesis]. University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Humanities ,Department of Psychology, 2016 [cited yyyy month dd]. Available from: http://hdl.handle.net/11427/22904en_ZA
dc.language.isoengen_ZA
dc.publisher.departmentDepartment of Psychologyen_ZA
dc.publisher.facultyFaculty of Humanitiesen_ZA
dc.publisher.institutionUniversity of Cape Town
dc.subject.otherClinical Psychologyen_ZA
dc.title"It's not for fun anymore": perfomance of masculinity as a source of stress among professional soccer players in South Africaen_ZA
dc.typeMaster Thesis
dc.type.qualificationlevelMasters
dc.type.qualificationnameMSocScen_ZA
uct.type.filetypeText
uct.type.filetypeImage
uct.type.publicationResearchen_ZA
uct.type.resourceThesisen_ZA
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