| Abstract [eng] |
Although the number of sportswomen grows, however the sport is conceptualized as exclusively male domain. For this reason, women, who want to be sport leaders have to confront with a lot of boundaries. The aim of this work is to find out whether gender inequality exists in sport and if it does, to show the role that collective identity plays in contesting sexism structures in team sports. According to conceptions of social recognition, gender as a social structure, power and presentation of sportsmen/sportswomen in media, the theoretical part of this work reveals that the sport is not just the male domain. In this part is described the legal basis (the principles of international “Women and sports” conferences Title IX (USA)) that regulates women‘s rights in sports. A.Melucci, V.Taylor and N.Whittier collective identity concepts allow us to examine the processe of how groups define who they are, contruct the group consciousness and mobilize against perceived injustices. Here are also discussed the circumstances that cause the rise of collective action. The research of gender differences in ice hockey by C.F. Pelak is presented. The empirical base of this work is a case study – VU women‘s basketball team – analysis, which helps to find out whether female confront gender inequality in sports and if they do, how it shows. The same indicators were adapted in making the interviews with the VU basketball players as in C.F.Pelak female ice hockey players research, in order to establish whether there are conditions to form collective identity as an implement to make the situation better in sports. According to in-depth interview with the women basketball players, it may be stated that gender inequality in sport exists and it shows differences in terms of financial conditions and society’s interest in women’s and men’s sport. Theere were evaluated conditions to play basketball that gives VU sports administration, the regulations of LSBL (Lithuanian Student Basketball League) for women‘s and men‘s teams and peculiarities of organization competitions‘ were overlooked. It was established that in the team exists a collective feeling and the shown initiative to change the existing situation allows to state, that in VU women‘s basketball team there are conditions for collective identity formation. |
