Abstract

The following comparative case study uses a standard open-ended interview to question a total of 16 Liberian refugee adolescent girls, eight who participate in team kickball and eight who do not participate in any team sports, regarding their viewpoints on their gender roles both within their communities and within sport. The analysis of this case study indicates that the adolescent girls interviewed, both those who participate in team kickball and those who do not participate in any team sports, seem to view their roles to be restrictive, at least to a small degree, within their communities. The girls, from both sides of the analysis, also tend to favor adolescent girls’ participation in sport and believe that girls’ participation in sport is beneficial for girls’ physical and social development. The analysis furthermore suggests that the girls, who participate in team kickball, seem to have a higher level of role satisfaction and self-confidence than the girls who do not participate in any team sports. This study may be beneficial for non-governmental organizations, government agencies, individuals, and groups who serve populations within developing countries and who maintain a community development or gender issues focus. This study is beneficial for the purposes of developing effective initiatives for certain population groups and/or for the purposes of changing the infrastructure within certain communities or institutions within these communities.

Disciplines

Gender and Sexuality | Inequality and Stratification

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