Bilton Master Thesis May 2013
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AN EXAMINATION OF HOCKEY: IDENTITY, GENDER CONSTRUCTION, HEGEMONIC MASCULINITY, WOMEN’S HOCKEY, AND TURKEY By Tyler Bilton B.S. St. Michael’s College, 2009 A THESIS Submitted in Partial Fulfilment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts (in Liberal Studies) The Graduate School The University of Maine May 2013 Advisory Committee: Charlsye Smith Diaz, Assistant Professor of English, co-Advisor Scott D. Peterson, Assistant Professor of Communication at Wright State University, co-Advisor Mazie Hough, Associate Director, Assistant Professor of History and Women’s Studies !i !ii THESIS ACCEPTANCE STATEMENT On behalf of the Graduate Committee for Tyler Bilton we affirm that this manuscript is the final and accepted thesis. Signatures of all committee members are on file with the Graduate School at the University of Maine, 42 Stodder Hall, Orono, Maine. ________________________________________________________________________ _________________________ Dr. Charlsye Smith Diaz, April 25, 2013 Assistant Professor of English, co-Advisor ________________________________________________________________________ _________________________ Dr. Scott D. Peterson, April 25, 2013 Assistant Professor of Communication at Wright State University !ii LIBRARY RIGHTS STATEMENT In presenting this thesis in partial fulfilment of the requirements for an advanced degree at The University of Maine, I agree that the Library shall make it freely available for inspection. I further agree that permission for “fair use” copying of this thesis for scholarly purposes may be granted by the Librarian. It is understood that any copying or publication of this thesis for financial gain shall not be allowed without my written permission. Signature: Date: May 3, 2013 !iii AN EXAMINATION OF HOCKEY: IDENTITY, GENDER CONSTRUCTION, HEGEMONIC MASCULINITY, WOMEN’S HOCKEY, AND TURKEY By: Tyler Bilton Thesis co-Advisors: Dr. Charlyse Smith Diaz Dr. Scott D. Peterson An Abstract of the Thesis Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts (in Liberal Studies) May 2013 The purpose of this study was to examine hockey’s identity, how the game constructs identity, and how the increasing participation of females in hockey in Canada and Turkey is altering identity. Through qualitative research and personal experience it is revealed that in order for hockey and Turkey to modernize, a new male identity needs to emerge that views females as equals and not a threat to their constructed idea of masculinity. The sport of ice hockey is identified as being Canadian and Canadians identify themselves through hockey. Hockey has given Canadians an imagined community, which is built upon the successes of the men’s national hockey teams in international competition. Sports like hockey play and important role in forming gender identity. Hockey is recognized in popular culture as being violent and history reveals that violence has always been a part of hockey. However, the aggressive and physical nature of the sport is inherent and not only reserved for the male side of hockey. The dominating and !iv aggressive behaviour portrayed in the media in men’s hockey is what is known as hegemonic masculinity. This hegemonic masculinity is also evident in Turkey’s patriarchal culture. Because of this patriarchal culture, women in Turkey are treated poorly with high reports of physical and mental abuse. The poor treatment of women is one of the reasons why Turkey’s application into the European Union is being delayed. But this hegemonic masculinity can be altered and constructed in a different way according to feminist theorists like Simone de Beauvoir, Gloria Anzaldua, and Judith Butler. Women playing ice hockey is a way to change the constructed gender identity. In order to get a current view on women’s hockey, women currently playing in Turkey were interviewed. Two players were Canadian and one was Turkish and both provided great current insight into the women’s hockey culture in Turkey. While more subjects would have been helpful for this research, constraints with time and finances did not allow enough time to gain the trust of that many participants. The results of this study revealed that identity is fluid and not permanent and what is portrayed through the media, constructs what our ideas of gender are. The terrible treatment of Women in Turkey is linked to the cultural shift from a patriarchal culture, to a more balanced one between the genders. Hockey is helping give women in Turkey confidence while also altering the traditional identity of femininity. In order for a new male identity to emerge, a new male gaze that recognizes that women are equal and can play hockey is required. This new male gaze is being formed already due to the shift in media coverage of women’s hockey and the participation of women in ice hockey. And !v from that new male gaze, there are already examples of this new male identity emerging, providing hope for continued growth. !vi DEDICATION To my mother and brother, the best team a goalie could ask for. !vii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Thanks to my committee for their amazing insight and patience, I couldn’t have done this without them. Special thanks to Scott for two memorable years of great discussions on baseball and hockey. To my friends in Turkey, thank you for your patience, understanding and contributions to my study. I look forward to seeing you all soon. !viii TABLE OF CONTENTS DEDICATION .............................................................................................................................VII ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ......................................................................................................VIII CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION ..................................................................................................I ESTABLISHING MY CREDIBILITY .................................................................................................IV INTERVIEWS .................................................................................................................................VI THE STUDY .................................................................................................................................VII CHAPTER 2: IDENTITY AND THEORY ................................................................................IX IDENTITY .....................................................................................................................................IX SPORTS MATTER: IMAGINED COMMUNITIES ...............................................................................XI Hockey’s Canadian Identity .................................................................................................xvii HEGEMONIC MASCULINITY .......................................................................................................XIX Ice Hockey’s Masculine Identity ..........................................................................................xxiv HOCKEY THEORY - FEMINISM AND GENDER ..........................................................................XXVI FEMINISM DIVIDED IN TURKEY ..............................................................................................XXIX THE NEW MAN ...................................................................................................................XXXVIII CHAPTER 3: HISTORY AND TURKEY’S CURRENT CULTURE ....................................XL HOCKEY’S HISTORY ...................................................................................................................XL Canada and Turkey .................................................................................................................xl WOMEN’S HOCKEY THROUGH LITERATURE ............................................................................XLV History of Women’s Hockey ..................................................................................................xlvi Issues Facing Female Hockey Players ..................................................................................liii Global Look at Women’s Hockey .........................................................................................lviii Collegiate Hockey in the United States ................................................................................lxii Women in Professional Hockey – Penetrating the Male Border ........................................lxviii Towards the Future ............................................................................................................lxxiii !ix TURKEY – WOMEN’S HOCKEY .............................................................................................LXXIV Hockey’s Violent History .....................................................................................................lxxv TURKEY – A SECULAR ISLAMIST STATE .............................................................................LXXVIII VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN IN TURKEY ............................................................................LXXXV CHAPTER 4: OBSERVATIONS ..............................................................................................XC MY BLOG – INITIAL OBSERVATIONS THROUGH A NEW LENS ....................................................XC Initial Visit and My Identity ....................................................................................................xc My Blog ................................................................................................................................xcii