| The purpose of this study was to investigate the attitudes and opinions of 18 to 25-year-old male university students regarding their views on the roles of female television reporters working in male-dominated sports. Sport has been established as a male-dominated domain that displays male characteristics. Consumption of sports, specifically male-dominated sports, and the traditional reporting that accompanies these events may allow for the propagation and reinforcement of ideals of hegemonic masculinity. Enactments of hegemonic masculinity inherent in the images and discourses of televised sports programming contribute to the continued marginalization of women in society. The introduction of women in non-traditional sport reporting roles may be a threat to exclusionary male identities maintained around sport consumption and may affect the viewing experience for the male viewer. This study is specifically interested in the acceptance level, enjoyment level, and negative stereotypes towards these women reporters. A total of 198 Concordia University undergraduate students completed a survey of attitudes toward female reporters in male-dominated sports. Only the surveys completed by male respondents, between the ages of 18 and 25, were used for this study (N=79). None of the three hypotheses were confirmed with statistically significant results. These inconclusive results could be due to issues with the study design or the misinterpretation of the research, resulting in unsupported hypotheses. |
