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AN EXAMINATION OF ROLE IDENTITY IN WOMEN’S SPORT FANDOM

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Abstract
Extensive research into sport consumer behavior has shown that sport fandom was a social experience that fostered belonging. Belonging referred to a feeling of connection with others who shared an interest in a sport team or league (Cornwell & Jahn, 2023; Sloan, 1989). These connections often led to a strengthened fan identity, which yielded social and psychological benefits (Inoue et al., 2020; Wann, 2006) and drove consumption behaviors such as purchasing merchandise or attending games (Biscaia et al., 2023; Mazodier et al., 2018). However, most of this body of research has centered men’s sport contexts (Delia et al., 2021; Lebel et al., 2021). Only seven percent of sport consumer behavior research has examined women’s sport contexts (Delia et al., 2022), limiting insight into how fans of women’s sport make meaning of their fan identities. Prior researchers have suggested that fans of women’s sport were motivated by values such as a desire to support gender equality (Clarke et al., 2022; Delia, 2020), which signaled a need for deeper inquiry into the unique meanings associated with fandom in women’s sport. Fans of women’s sport often navigated structural challenges (e.g., limited media visibility and inconsistent merchandise availability; Clarke, 2019; The Collective, 2023; Hytner, 2020) and negotiated their fandom alongside other role identities, such as parenting or advocacy. Identity theory posited that individuals carry overlapping role identities, and that the salience and social validation of these roles influenced behavior and self-understanding (Stryker & Serpe, 1994; McCall & Simmons, 1978). As such, this theoretical lens offered a useful framework for exploring the experiences of fans of women’s sport through the lens of their interlocking role identities and understanding the meanings attached to being fans. Guided by identity theory and a social constructionist epistemology, I conducted a generic descriptive–interpretive qualitative study (Elliott & Timulak, 2021) with fans of teams within the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA), the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL), and the Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL). These findings contributed to identity theory and offered new insights for organizations seeking to better understand and engage fans of women’s sport.
Type
Dissertation (Open Access)
Date
2025-05
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Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 United States
License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/us/
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