An Examination of Self-Agency, Empowerment, and Voice in Female Student Athletes in Ethiopia
Location
DeSantis Room 1049
Format Type
Plenary
Format Type
Paper
Start Date
15-1-2020 1:45 PM
End Date
15-1-2020 2:05 PM
Abstract
As more girls participate in sport, studies have focused on how it positively impacts their lives. These studies examine increased rates of self-efficacy, academic success, and professional advancement. Simultaneously, research identifying gender similarities and differences in voice without attention to sport has also been conducted. Research focused on the constructs of sport, gender, and voice empowerment, however, has not been jointly examined. Using qualitative methodologies, the researcher examined the Ethiopia-based Girls Gotta Run Foundation (GGRF) in May and June 2019. Applying a capability approach along with feminist theory, this study aims to explore whether sport can empower girls’ voice in public and private spaces. The capability approach encouraged the researcher to consider the freedom and individuality of the girls within the scope of their communities to reduce, though not eliminate, her Western expectations. In conjunction, feminist theory provided a lens to explore self-agency, empowerment, and voice. The researcher administered 30 questionnaires to GGRF student athletes, conducted interviews with GGRF administrators and local community members, and collected observational and participatory ethnographic data. This study acknowledges gaps in international research, particularly in Global South nations. In highlighting this gap, it will provide perspectives on the lives of girls living in Ethiopian communities, which may potentially lay a foundation for studying the lives of girls living in other Global South nations.
Keywords
Girls, sport, voice, Ethiopia, feminist theory, capability approach, Global South
An Examination of Self-Agency, Empowerment, and Voice in Female Student Athletes in Ethiopia
DeSantis Room 1049
As more girls participate in sport, studies have focused on how it positively impacts their lives. These studies examine increased rates of self-efficacy, academic success, and professional advancement. Simultaneously, research identifying gender similarities and differences in voice without attention to sport has also been conducted. Research focused on the constructs of sport, gender, and voice empowerment, however, has not been jointly examined. Using qualitative methodologies, the researcher examined the Ethiopia-based Girls Gotta Run Foundation (GGRF) in May and June 2019. Applying a capability approach along with feminist theory, this study aims to explore whether sport can empower girls’ voice in public and private spaces. The capability approach encouraged the researcher to consider the freedom and individuality of the girls within the scope of their communities to reduce, though not eliminate, her Western expectations. In conjunction, feminist theory provided a lens to explore self-agency, empowerment, and voice. The researcher administered 30 questionnaires to GGRF student athletes, conducted interviews with GGRF administrators and local community members, and collected observational and participatory ethnographic data. This study acknowledges gaps in international research, particularly in Global South nations. In highlighting this gap, it will provide perspectives on the lives of girls living in Ethiopian communities, which may potentially lay a foundation for studying the lives of girls living in other Global South nations.