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Bargaining with Patriarchy1: Former Women Coaches’ Experiences and Their Decision to Leave Collegiate Coaching

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Bargaining with Patriarchy1: Former Women Coaches’ Experiences and Their Decision to Leave Collegiate Coaching KAMPHOFF, CINDRA S., Ph.D. Bargaining With Patriarchy1: Former Women Coaches’ Experiences and Their Decision to Leave Collegiate Coaching. (2006) Directed by Drs. Diane L. Gill and Katherine M. Jamieson. 218 pp. The purpose of the study was to better understand the experiences of former female coaches and their decision to terminate their careers, especially in relation to the patriarchal nature of U.S. collegiate sport. A feminist perspective and mixed-methods design were used to allow for an in-depth and rich understanding of women coaches’ experiences. The survey sample included 121 former women coaches who left collegiate athletics in the last ten years. The survey findings suggest that time and family commitments are the main reasons these women left coaching. The open-end comments, however, provided a more complex picture of why women may leave U.S. collegiate coaching. About 18% of the participants in this sample left coaching for positive reasons such as an opportunity for a promotion or to pursue further education. However, the majority of the reasons the participants provided on the open-end responses were negative, including a lack of support by administration, burnout, difficulty balancing life with coaching, and recruiting. The patriarchal nature of collegiate athletics was apparent in the numerous open-end responses that provided reports of perceived gender discrimination and homophobia. Six women from the survey sample were individually interviewed once on the phone. Using a descriptive analytic strategy and the process of indexing, three general themes emerged: 1) Gender disparities in women’s work, 2) Technical demands of 1 The title was inspired by the work of Deniz Kandiyoti (1991). coaching, and 3) College coaching and normalized sexualities. Overall, the interview findings confirmed the open-end responses on the survey and described gender discrimination and the centrality of male coaches in collegiate athletics. The participants reported receiving fewer resources, lower salaries, more responsibilities, and less administrative support than their male counterparts. The participants in this study had difficulty balancing work and family, and reported that others saw them “distracted by motherhood” if they had children. The technical demands of coaching (including recruiting, the time commitment, pressure to win, dealing with parents and athletes, and coaching women) proved to be a stressor for these women and led some of them to leave coaching. Furthermore, the participants provided examples of rampant homophobia in U.S. collegiate coaching. Collectively, the survey and interview results reveal that there is not one reason that these coaches have left the profession. In fact, participants provided multiple, complex, and overlapping reasons for leaving U.S. collegiate coaching. BARGAINING WITH PATRIARCHY1: FORMER WOMEN COACHES’ EXPERIENCES AND THEIR DECISION TO LEAVE COLLEGIATE COACHING by Cindra S. Kamphoff A Dissertation Submitted to the Faculty of The Graduate School at The University of North Carolina at Greensboro in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Philosophy Greensboro 2006 Approved by ________________________ Committee Co-Chair ________________________ Committee Co-Chair APPROVAL PAGE This dissertation has been approved by the following committee of the Faculty of the Graduate School at The University of North Carolina at Greensboro: Committee Co-Chair __________________________ Committee Co-Chair __________________________ Committee Members __________________________ __________________________ September 22, 2006 Date of Acceptance by Committee September 22, 2006 Date of Final Oral Examination ii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I would like to acknowledge several individuals that supported me throughout my doctoral program and directly contributed to this dissertation. I feel indebted to the survey and interview participants who contributed their time and insights into this project. Without these women, this dissertation would not be possible. To you, this work is dedicated. I am grateful to my committee chairs, Drs. Diane Gill and Kathy Jamieson. Dr. Gill provided unwavering support and was always available to answer my questions or address my concerns. She provided positive energy in times that I really needed it and provided encouragement throughout my program and the dissertation. I also appreciate Dr. Gill’s vision of using multiple methods, which made this project stronger. Dr. Jamieson pushed me to new levels of analytic thinking and theorizing. I appreciate her insight and stimulating questions and comments. Because of her comprehensive comments and questions, I have no doubt that this work is stronger. I also feel appreciative to my committee members, Drs. Mary Morgan and Renee Newcomer- Appaneal. I am grateful for Dr. Morgan’s insight into feminist methodology and her challenging questions about women and sport. She made me think more about how sport is different than other locations in which women work. Dr. Newcomer-Appaneal brought enthusiasm and support for the topic and the use of qualitative methodology. I appreciate her helpful comments. I would also like to thank my fellow graduate students who assisted me in the verification of this research: Karen Murphy, Melissa Schreibstein, Eileen Keipper, and iii Treva Curtis. I would like to particularly thank Karen Murphy for her assistance in this project and the conversations we had about using qualitative methodology. Colleagues and friends have helped to keep me “sane” during my Ph.D. program including Michelle Lesperance, Jackie Olberding, Karen Murphy, Steph Stadden, Christy Greenleaf, and Tammy Schilling. I am grateful to my parents, Hank and Bev Schelling, for their support and encouragement through the dissertation and Ph.D. program. My sisters, Crystal Hoogeveen and Chasitie Vander Plaats, have also supported me on my journey to the Ph.D. I also feel the need to thank my “running buddies” who in the last year provided encouragement for me to run two marathons (including Boston!) and four half- marathons. They always kept me going by asking, “How’s that dissertation going?” and running provided me with a much needed outlet. Last by not least, I would like to thank the unconditional support of my husband, Dan. Wow…I can honestly say that without your love and support this project and the degree would not be possible. You keep me balanced and help me keep life in perspective. Your laid-back and stress-free style is contagious and you are a role model for living life! You are always there to listen and I look forward to our life together when I have less “work” to do and more weekends to continue to have fun with you. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS Page LIST OF TABLES……………………………………………………………………...viii LIST OF FIGURES………………………………………………………………………ix CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTION…………………………………………….…………..1 Rationale for Study ..........................................................................6 Background of Study and Reflexivity Statement.............................9 Statement of Purpose .....................................................................13 Research Questions........................................................................13 Significant of Study .......................................................................14 Summary........................................................................................15 II. REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE................................................16 Sport as a Gendered, Cultural Practice .........................................17 A History of Women’s Exclusion......................................18 Hegemony/Power Relations in U.S. Collegiate Sport ......22 Power Lines Crossing ........................................................26 Women’s Experiences as U.S. Collegiate Coaches......................27 Structural Constraints.........................................................28 Leadership of Women’s Sport...............................28 Organizational Culture...........................................31 Resources Allocated to Women Coaches and Athletes................................................................36 Ideological Constraints.......................................................39 Women Seen as “Token” ......................................40 Gender Roles in Sport............................................45 Homophobia ..........................................................48 Media Images of Women.......................................51 Feminist Theory, Methodology and Scholarship in Sport............54 Feminist Theory and Methodology....................................54 Feminist Scholarship in Sport ............................................60 Feminist Research in Sport Psychology ................60 Feminist Activism in Sport....................................62 Summary.......................................................................................63 v III. METHOD .....................................................................................................65 Overview of the Study ..................................................................65 Surveys .........................................................................................66 Participants.........................................................................66 Measures............................................................................72 Demographics Questionnaire.................................72 Open-end Items......................................................73
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