A1 Journal article (refereed)
A tale of three seasons : a cultural sport psychology and gender performativity approach to practitioner identity and development in professional football (2020)
Champ, Francesca; Ronkainen, Noora; Tod, David; Eubank, Artin; Littlewood, Martin (2020). A tale of three seasons : a cultural sport psychology and gender performativity approach to practitioner identity and development in professional football. Qualitative Research in Sport, Exercise and Health, Early online. DOI: 10.1080/2159676X.2020.1833967
JYU authors or editors
Publication details
All authors or editors: Champ, Francesca; Ronkainen, Noora; Tod, David; Eubank, Artin; Littlewood, Martin
Journal or series: Qualitative Research in Sport, Exercise and Health
ISSN: 2159-676X
eISSN: 2159-6778
Publication year: 2020
Volume: Early online
Publisher: Routledge
Publication country: United Kingdom
Publication language: English
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/2159676X.2020.1833967
Open Access: Publication channel is not openly available
Publication is parallel published (JYX): https://jyx.jyu.fi/handle/123456789/73379
Abstract
The present study explored how the organisational and cultural experiences of a trainee Sport Psychology Consultant (SPC) working in professional football shaped her identity and professional development. Drawing on Cultural Sport Psychology (CSP) and gender performativity as guiding frameworks, we explored the first author’s identity development as a sport psychology practitioner-researcher within one professional football club over a 3-year duration. Traditional ethnographic data collection methods were employed, including, field notes and a reflective journal. Through creative non-fiction vignettes, we show that the traditional masculine discourse in professional football shaped the first author’s sense of self and subsequent behaviours. From the results of this study, we suggest that SPCs identity development is not smooth or linear, rather it can be described as a ‘rocky road to individuation’ defined by a series of culturally specific ‘critical moments’. We strongly believe that contextual intelligence and cultural proficiency are essential for a trainee SPCs survival during early and later career stages of working within elite and professional sport environments.
Keywords: sport psychology; psychologists; identity (mental objects); professional identity; professional development; gender roles
Free keywords: gender performativity; cultural sport psychology; identity; professional development; longitudinal
Contributing organizations
Ministry reporting: No, publication in press
Preliminary JUFO rating: 1
