Sex segregation and the participation of transgender adults in recreational sport
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Authors
Nguyen, SonTung
Issue Date
2021
Type
Thesis
Language
en
Subject
Alternative Title
Abstract
Sport participation has been made difficult for transgender people due to sex segregation in sport separating two normative sexes of male and female based on biological differences. Sex segregation policies and transgender participation in physical activity, professional, and collegiate sport is well documented, but this examination has not reached recreational sport. Although recreational sport guidelines identify inclusion as an imperative in sport participation, they have failed to lay out the means to achieve it. Specifically, concrete inclusion policies and practices with action plans are lacking for recreational transgender sport participants, leaving them to struggle on their own with stigmatization. In light of these limitations, the purpose of this study is: 1) determine how transgender adults’ participation in recreational sports in BC, Canada is informed by their experiences with the sex-based segregation structure in recreational sport; and 2) inform an enhanced and intentional change in transgender-inclusive policies and practices in terms of the sex-based segregation structure in recreational sport in BC, Canada. A qualitative research design was adopted, with data collected from two methods: first, textual data was extracted from written biographies and film documentaries about transgender people in sport. Second, semistructure interviews were conducted with eleven transgender adults recruited from recreational sport leagues and transgender-related organizations across BC. A thematic narrative analysis was employed, and informed by social justice theory, stigma theory, and gender theory. Findings show a persistence of transgender stigma and a lack of explicitness about transgender inclusivity in recreational sport, which heavily influence how transgender people participate in recreational sport. Lastly, the study serves as a platform for transgender participants to introduce their own ideal scenarios for change in policies and practices towards achieving greater inclusivity of transgender people in recreational sport.
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Citation
Publisher
Electronic version published by Vancouver Island University