WUNRN
IMPLEMENTATION OF GENDER
MAINSTREAMING IN EUROPEAN SPORT
Direct Links to Full 158-Page 2012
Thesis Document:
Author: Claudia Koller - claudia_koller@gmx.at
Abstract:
This
thesis deals with Gender Mainstreaming strategies in sport and thereby
scrutinizes the initial question of how it is implemented in different settings
throughout Europe. Three European countries, Austria, Norway and Kosovo
therefore served as national examples. In addition, the Directorate General of
Education and Culture (DG EAC) of the European Commission and ENGSO provided
the exemplary analyses of international strategies. The study was realized
through a dual approach of literature analyses and qualitative research
methods. The first part of this thesis provides a theoretical approach to
baseline definitions, legal basics and the division of responsibilities. As
well, it stresses different implementation options and methods. The subsequent
empirical part follows the principals of qualitative research and can be
coarsely structured in the conduction of semi-standardized expert interviews,
the development of appropriate categories and the data presentation through
qualitative content analyses. How far sports organisations are handling the
foremost political strategy of Gender Mainstreaming on a national level, has
not yet been analyzed in a comprehensive manner. Consequently, this lack of
information is hereby met by the conduction of interviews with domestic and
international experts for governmental and non-governmental sport structures.
The findings illustrate the conceptual framework of Gender Mainstreaming in
sport and thereby reveal different implementation options actually carried out
in different settings. Due to the autonomy of member states and the well
separated pillar of governments and sports organisations, there is a great
variety of ideas about how to approach gender-related issues in sport. However,
explicit Gender Mainstreaming policies for sport are therefore in most cases
nonexistent. Even if Gender Mainstreaming in national sports is on the agenda
to an extent, discussions in terms of the allocation of responsibilities are
foremost dominated by disagreement.
