A Social Media Analysis of the Gendered Representations of Female and Male Athletes During the 2018 Commonwealth Games

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Yang, Elaine Chiao Ling
Hayes, Michelle
Chen, Jinyan
Riot, Caroline
Khoo-Lattimore, Catheryn
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2020
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Abstract

Contemporary sport culture is characterized as highly masculinized, where female athletes are continually marginalized in traditional media. Despite evidence suggesting that media representation of athletes has a meaningful impact on social outcomes and participation rates of women and girls, little is known about gendered representations of athletes on social media and in the context of mega-sporting events. This paper examines the gendered representations of athletes on Twitter during the 2018 Commonwealth Games using framing theory. A total of 133,338 tweets were analyzed using sentiment and word-frequency analyses. Results indicate gender differences concerning athlete representation on Twitter, albeit marginal. In particular, the findings reveal that seemingly neutral words (e.g., “dedicated,” “talented,” and “hard working”) could carry gendered connotations. Recommendations are provided to guide stakeholders to advance a more inclusive sport culture through the strategic use of social media during mega-sporting events.

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International Journal of Sport Communication

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© 2020 Human Kinetics. This is the author-manuscript version of this paper. Reproduced in accordance with the copyright policy of the publisher. Please refer to the journal website for access to the definitive, published version.

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Sport and leisure management

Gender studies not elsewhere classified

Commercial services

Marketing

Communication and media studies

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Yang, ECL; Hayes, M; Chen, J; Riot, C; Khoo-Lattimore, C, A Social Media Analysis of the Gendered Representations of Female and Male Athletes During the 2018 Commonwealth Games, International Journal of Sport Communication, 2020

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