Gendered uniforms lead to high dropout rates of teenage girls in sport: research

Sadly, that's most social science these days (not methodologically sound nor reproducible).

But to draw these conclusions you'll need to understand a bit of math. Thankfully, bureaucrats are hard at work getting rid of advanced math classes and making sure this won't be taught at public schools [0] [1].

[0] https://reason.com/2021/05/04/california-math-framework-woke...

[1] https://equitablemath.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2020/11...

> This research used a mixed-methods approach, gaining both qualitative and quantitative data from an 18+ female-only online analytical survey gaining over 400 responses, followed-up with 8 semi-structured interviews with women aged 18–24. The choice of mixed-methods was first to gain the value of qualitative methods in attaining first-hand perspectives and multiple-truths. Secondly, gaining quantitative data were important to challenge the traditionally ‘uneasy’ relationship between feminist theory and quantitative social research (O’Leary, Citation1977). Cognisant of feminist researcher Williams’ (Citation2006, p. 456) view that ‘quantitative analysis is necessary if feminists are to intervene in important political debates’, I chose to involve quantitative data collection to aid the potential follow-up use of this study in policy design. This study implements feminist epistemological principles to support how I understand power, agency and the construction of knowledge, aligning with Rose’s (Citation1997) understanding that there is no single truth, only participants’ lived experiences. Further, a mixed-method approach encouraged the issue of school sport uniform to be explored through ‘a variety of lenses, which allows for multiple facets of the phenomenon to be revealed and understood’ (Baxter & Jack, Citation2008, p. 544).

> Engaging with feminist epistemologies during data collection, I was aware that research of gender in society is also a form of ‘doing gender’ (McDowell, Citation1992, p. 400), therefore there must be caution not to essentialise the ‘voice’ of women as a group or disregard intersectionality (Davis, Citation1994). Investigating uniform experiences with an intersectional lens of race, religion, gender reassignment and sexual orientation is vitally important, but the limitations in my data mean these intersections could not be sufficiently investigated within the scope of this paper. I accept even detailed accounts are always only ‘partial knowledge’ (Elwood, Citation2010), but appreciate feminist qualitative research is about using ‘small stories to tell larger narratives’ (Jackson, Citation2011, p. 56). Listening to a range of experiences, we can better understand a meta-narrative of how school sport uniform impacts behaviour, identity formation and creates barriers to physical activity.

> Guided by feminist epistemologies, as an interviewer I was conscious of power dynamics (Gluck & Patai, Citation1991), and cautious of any potential prompting of ‘correct’ or ‘dominant’ answers (Winchester & Rofe, Citation2010, p. 8). Brooks and Hesse-Biber (Citation2007, p. 14) indicate researcher emotions, subjectivities and situated knowledges cannot be ‘removed, bracketed or erased’, instead it is important to ‘reveal them’ (Brooks & Hesse-Biber, Citation2007). I acknowledge the influence of my experiences as a schoolgirl and now as a professional athlete, therefore avoid claiming a ‘false neutrality’ of knowledge (Rose, Citation1997, p. 306). Holding a reflexive feminist standpoint, I recognise how during this project I am also involved in a process of ‘self-discovery’ (England, Citation1994, p. 82).

It is surprising, and a bit sad, for me to see how much of research is now taken up by things that don't look at all like research. This is from the paper.

* other people sometimes quit...

There was a team that was fined for wearing a different style of uniform https://www.cbc.ca/news/entertainment/women-athletes-uniform...

I look at beach vollyball uniforms for men and women and it reminds of the armor used for female and male characters in games.

Sometimes, like swimming, the uniform is the way it is because its best suited for the sport. But other times... its sexism.

From the article

> She is now launching Inclusive Sportswear CIC, a community-interest company specializing in the development of rigorously inclusive sportswear policies and guidance for schools, clubs, sport organizations and brands.

> Meaning if they don't got the result they want, they will discard the study and you will never hear about it. Drug studies can be fudged this way.

You picked exactly that one field of science where this can't happen. At least in the EU (and US, according to Wikipedia), clinical trials have to be registered before conducting the actual research, so they can't be discarded if not successful.

No no, you have to understand: the Scientists said this. We simply must Trust the Science. What, are you anti-Science?

I don't understand why this has to be a gender issue, when there's such an obvious solution: Just don't have rules on uniforms at all: Prescribe team colors and let athletes pick whatever style of apparel they want. Body image issues apply to both genders.

As someone who doesn't watch volleyball, my only association with men and volleyball is the volleyball scene in Top Gun, which, in my perception, is actually a great example of how men, too, are sometimes sexually objectified in the media. It's just that men being sexually objectified has different cultural connotations, which makes it less of an issue for men.

> men’s and women’s volleyball and beach volleyball

As a former volleyball and beach volley professional player, albeit not at the highest levels: this is a false argument and often in bad faith.

There have been drastic changes over the decades in the volleyball uniforms, especially for women.

Sport gear evolved enormously, female players in the late 80s (the oldest I can remember watching in person) wore bodysuits similar to those gymnasts use and a t-shirt on that. Now they wear much longer shorts, like swimmers do. Men wore very short shorts, compared to the NBA style that they use now.

The attire has always been fit to the body to avoid involuntary net invasions.

There was a time when the players used baggy uniforms and it caused a lot of issues.

Men now wear skintight sleeveless t-shirt (almost tank tops) because they cause less friction on the shoulders. They are also required to tuck them in, again, to avoid fouls.

Nowadays the two uniforms are very similar, except the shorts, because men genitalia are different from women's, and, especially, if it's about people jumping up and down constantly, you do not want to show too clearly what's actually happening down there in television.

Beach volley it's another story entirely, when the sport started on California beaches players dressed in the surfer's fashion, men and women alike.

Soon women realized that having the literal sand in your unders during a game is quite uncomfortable and opted for more succinct swimsuits, where less sand could deposit, while men where stuck with their surf shorts, because, again, men in speedos jumping up and down and rolling in the sand, is not exactly viewer advisory safe.

To put it in another way, players could go and wear whatever they like, but rest assured that uniforms are designed to maximize performances, not looks.

There's a reason why full body swimsuits are banned from professional swimming competitions, and it's not because "someone in charge" wants to show more naked skin to the audience.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LZR_Racer

edit: grammar