Gendered barriers in athlete career pathways: The case of muslim women in the Global South
PODIUM SPORT, LEISURE AND TOURISM REVIEW, cilt.15, sa.e29969, ss.1-32, 2026 (ESCI)
- Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
- Cilt numarası: 15 Sayı: e29969
- Basım Tarihi: 2026
- Doi Numarası: 10.5585/2026.29969
- Dergi Adı: PODIUM SPORT, LEISURE AND TOURISM REVIEW
- Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Emerging Sources Citation Index (ESCI), DIALNET
- Sayfa Sayıları: ss.1-32
- Sivas Cumhuriyet Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet
Özet
Study Objective: This study aims to uncover the barriers that inhibit women college athletes in the Global South from pursuing professional sports careers. Focusing on Pakistan as a case study, it interrogates how intersecting gendered, cultural, and institutional forces shape women’s sporting experiences and restrict their long-term athletic trajectories.
Methodology/approach: Grounded theory was employed as a qualitative research approach through semi-structured interviews with 14 women college athletes from diverse sporting disciplines across Pakistan.
Originality/Relevance: By situating Pakistan within a broader Global South context, the study offers new insights into how localized sociocultural and institutional forces intersect to limit women’s access to athletic labor markets and professional sports careers.
Main Results: Eight interrelated barriers were identified and grouped into three overarching themes: structural barriers (perceived harassment, contextual limitations, and gender disparities), familial barriers (restrictive family norms and marital constraints), and sociocultural barriers (limited female identity, social constraints, and religious expectations).
Theoretical/Methodological Contributions: This study advances theoretical engagement by integrating intersectionality theory and Bourdieu’s concepts of capital, field, and habitus to interpret how women athletes internalize and resist social constraints
Keywords: college athletes, women athletes, career transition, career development, sport