MSU sociologist examines gender, sexual orientation and sports fandom
March 8th—International Women’s Day—is an opportunity for the College of Arts and Sciences to spotlight the scientific research conducted by women at Mississippi State University. One such researcher is Rachel Allison, an associate professor in the Department of Sociology.
With the NCAA Division I men’s basketball tournament “March Madness” slated to begin this month, sports are on the minds of many Americans. But while fans across the country discuss who will win the tournament, Allison studies who will watch it.
Allison and co-author Chis Knoester, an associate professor of sociology at The Ohio State University, recently finished their research project highlighting a survey of nearly 4,000 American adults and their gender identities, sexual orientations and affinity to sports.
The research garnered much attention the weeks leading up to the Superbowl, with outlets such as “HealthDay,” “U.S. News,” “United Press International (UPI) News,” and “SBNation” publishing articles focusing on the project. The researchers also discussed with The Ohio State News results from the study they expected and results that surprised them.
According to their survey, although heterosexual men identified most fervently as passionate sports fans, with 60% describing themselves as such, the results indicated that most Americans respond positively towards sports fanship. About 40% of both heterosexual and lesbian women described themselves as passionate sports fans, with 30% of gay men feeling the same way.
These statistics show that sports are an “ingrained part of our culture and central in the lives of many people,” Knoester said.
Allison said that the world of sports has shifted away from a historically masculine, heterosexual culture towards egalitarianism, which may be responsible for the changing demographics in sports fandoms.
“Sports cultures have become more welcoming and inclusive, particularly for women and LGBTQ fans,” Allison said. “Still, our study suggests that there is more work to do to.”
Allison has spent more than six years researching and publishing on the intersectionality of gender and societal institutions like education, medicine and sport.
Her 2018 book, “Kicking Center: Gender and the Selling of Women’s Professional Soccer,” explored various topics from the cultural shift happening in the sports world to how owners and staff of women's professional soccer in the U.S. craft goals and strategies for selling the league.
Allison’s recent article, “Learning to Lead? Race and Perceived Effects of College on Life Skill Development Among Sportswomen,” was published in the March 2020 issue of “Sociology of Sport Journal.” Allison examined racial differences in the perceived effects of college on life skill development among college sportswomen. She found small, but statistically significant differences whereby sportswomen of color reported less positive effects of college on leadership, teamwork, time management and work ethic compared to white sportswomen, but more positive effects of college on their understanding of people of other races.
Allison’s research uses scientific study to check for blind spots in today’s culture, she said. Her work demonstrates systemic problems in institutions like hospitals, universities and sports organizations that target disenfranchised populations at disproportional rates. Allison said she hopes her work will aid in the creation of researched-based solutions that address these and other important issues.
MSU’s College of Arts and Sciences includes more than 5,000 students, 323 full-time faculty members, nine doctoral programs, 14 master’s programs, and 27 undergraduate academic majors offered in 14 departments. MSU is classified by the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education as a “Very High Research Activity” doctoral university, the highest level of research activity in the country. MSU is one of only 120 schools to hold the designation. For more details about the College of Arts and Sciences, visit www.cas.msstate.edu.
MSU is Mississippi’s leading university, available online at www.msstate.edu.