Abstract

Summary
The aim of the present research work was to uncover the phenomenological understanding of gender inequalities in sport. The method was qualitative based on the interpretive/hermeneutic phenomenology. The research population included 15 female athletes with athletic experiences from the childhood to the professional level selected based on a purposeful sampling. The data analysis showed four main themes of female athletes’ lived experiences about gender inequalities including equal opportunities, distributive justice, sovereignty, and social products. Planning to remove the current barriers leads to develop the women sport and talent development up to the professional levels. Finally, the prominent suggestion of the present research work was to design the cultural pattern of women sport.
Introduction
One of the most important inequalities is gender inequality that includes the inequality distribution of wealth, power, opportunity, facilities, and social advantages in different scopes of men and women as well as the behavior reflects of humiliation and exclusion to underrate and stereotyping. The sport institution is a social phenomenon to be present over the society; it influences the institutions of the society as well as its influence on the social conditions. Sport is a key to understand the societies and an introduction to analyze the governing structures in the society. In most of the societies, the sport activities are male-dominated, and subsequently, the facilities are specific to men. Therefore, sport is a gender-based activity. There are different factors involved to define the gender inequalities in Iran. The aim of the present research work was to find a phenomenological understanding of the gender inequalities in sport.
Methodology
The method was qualitative based on phenomenology, and the sampling was purposeful based on a homogenous approach. The main aim of the phenomenology method is to understand the core structure of lived experiences, and it is a kind of philosophical method based on the conscious direct experiences considering phenomena; the direct experiences are described without a theoretical point around the experiences. Holloway and Galvin advice 4 to 40 participants as the sample size. Based on the research purpose “lived experiences about gender inequalities”, the research population included 15 female athletes with athletic experiences to compete in an international level selected based on purposeful sampling. The multiple factors involved were to select the samples: female gender, athlete, long athletic experience, national team membership, age, and different sport fields. The data was collected by semi-structured interviews lasting 40 to 50 minutes per interview. The Glaser’s seven-step method was the concepts out of interviews in terms of 71 codes. In the next step, the codes were classified in specific categories. 15 subthemes were introduced, and finally, four themes were the main themes.
Results and Conclusion
The data analysis showed four main themes of female athletes’ lived experiences about gender inequalities. Unequal gender opportunity: Unequal gender opportunity is one of the key concepts of female athletes’ lived experiences about gender inequalities. The subthemes included unequal opportunities of education, leisure, access, exercise, finance, growth, and employment. The women’s opportunity in sport is not comparable with the men. In fact, the government devotes more resources and facilities to men, and it causes to keep on inequality. In order to create equality, two approaches are suggested: 1) neutral approach to have no gendered discrimination. Therefore, there is no difference between men and women to benefit the resources 2) gender concentration approach to have an equal insight considering national condition, and sometimes focus on women sport more than men to decrease inequality and discrimination. Gender equality infrastructure: In the developing countries, equality is an inaccessible concept in the scope of women sport. Such shortages are more apparent in Iran due to the social and cultural conditions. Justice is to provide all opportunities, planning, facilities, and condition equally without gender discrimination. In the seventh national development plan, the women sport development has been considered. Gender abnormality: Female athletic performance is influenced by outfit, physically and mentally. The only socialization factor in relation with gender inequality is media. Gender discrimination is reflected in media. No media coverage of women sport increase gender inequality. As Bourdieu quoted, the women are faced with media censorship, and the worst kind is visible in TV. Gendered social barriers: Gendered social barriers include unequal social relations and social inequality increase. The cultural problems are stereotypes such as ridicule, social insult, and humiliation words. The female athletes do not have enough social security. The gender harassment is possible. Therefore, a lack of mental security is observable. On the inequality decrease path, the policy-makers and the government have a vital role to create equality and freedom: equal employment opportunity based on competency, women sport support, and equal rewards and payments. These can develop women motivation and their achievements in the international level. The Iranian women attendance in the international completions can promote the Islamic-Iranian culture, and it can be symbolized as Islamic ambassadors to present a nice image of Islam.

Keywords

• Gender equality
• inequality
• women sport
• equal opportunity

Main Subjects

• آموزش، یادگیری و توسعه منابع انسانی در ورزش