Author: Shawna Marks
Marks, Shawna, 2021 The sexual politics of Australian Football: Social constructions of masculinity, sex, and sexual violence, Flinders University, College of Education, Psychology and Social Work
Terms of Use: This electronic version is (or will be) made publicly available by Flinders University in accordance with its open access policy for student theses. Copyright in this thesis remains with the author. You may use this material for uses permitted under the Copyright Act 1968. If you are the owner of any included third party copyright material and/or you believe that any material has been made available without permission of the copyright owner please contact copyright@flinders.edu.au with the details.
This thesis explores masculinity, heterosexuality, and sexual violence in the context of amateur and semi-professional Australian football. It is a departure from the dominant focus on elite, celebrity Australian footballers. This research actively centred women’s sexual experiences with male Australian footballers, to explore masculinity, and sexual violence. Women’s experiences are privileged to explore constructions of masculinity, sexuality, and sexual violence in conjunction with male footballers, and Australian football communities. In-depth, semi-structured, participant-led interviews with 10 women were supplemented by quantitative and qualitative survey responses completed by 135 current and former male Australian footballers. This data allowed for examination of the nuances present in constructions of masculinity in the context of amateur football and how this influences sexual relationships and sexual violence. The concept of sexual politics was used to examine how gender is contested and subverted in ways that make gendered power relations and gendered social problems, like sexual violence, appear normal, natural, and inevitable. There is currently a progressive wave occurring in sport, including Australian football, focused on increasing women’s professional opportunities, and using sport as a vehicle for sexual violence prevention. This makes the nuanced ways that masculinity, heterosexuality, and sexual violence are constructed in Australian football communities especially relevant for exploration.
Keywords: Australian football, masculinity, sport, sexual violence, sexual politics, sexual relationships
Subject: Sociology thesis
Thesis type: Doctor of Philosophy
Completed: 2021
School: College of Education, Psychology and Social Work
Supervisor: Murray Drummond