Honors Theses
Date of Award
2019
Document Type
Undergraduate Thesis
Department
Sociology and Anthropology
First Advisor
Kate Centellas
Relational Format
Dissertation/Thesis
Abstract
The construction of an American hegemonic masculinity has been solidified and protected since the 19th century, allowing particular groups, but not all groups, of men to wield power over others through strength, aggression, and toughness. The popularity of American football is a manifestation of society’s value of this form of masculinity, accepted as an aspect of American culture. My thesis work aims to answer the following question: how has American hegemonic masculinity shaped and been expressed through football, and in what ways has the NFL responded? In order to answer this question, I utilize a mixed methods approach to investigate how hegemonic masculinity displayed through the sport of football negatively impacts players and the American public alike. I apply a theoretical framework built upon prevalent scholarship in examinations of gender, race, and risk to analyze those who are particularly affected by this cultural construct. The results ultimately indicate four dominant implications and manifestations of hegemonic masculinity on football: negative health effects, exploitation and predation of poor and marginalized groups, domestic violence, and rigid cultural and gender understanding that do not allow for deviance. My research also indicates that the NFL, using their Corporate Social Responsibility campaign and influential public relations strategies, masks these negative implications under the guise of harm reduction techniques and involvement in social endeavors or refuses to address them at all. My research will serve as a comprehensive discussion of widely held concerns about football through the lens of hegemonic masculinity. A deeper understanding of this topic will generate discourse about the moral aspects of engaging in football and will foster a discussion of responsibility, accountability, and hegemony.
Recommended Citation
Gillam, Hallie, "The Culture of Football in the United States: How Hegemonic Masculinity Affects and is Expressed in American Football" (2019). Honors Theses. 1043.
https://egrove.olemiss.edu/hon_thesis/1043
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