Abstract
Aim: The research explores social media constructions of female Pakistani cricketers in a masculine-dominated colonial sport. We ask how are female Pakistani cricketers represented in social media? Despite the emergence of some critique, there is a paucity of empirically grounded research that interrogates how the sport media depicts women’s sports participation in Pakistan. Theoretical Background and Literature Review: The research is informed by intersectional and feminist theory (Nash, 2008) which helps to locate and untangle the complex intersections gender in Pakistan. A study by Laar, Shi, and Ashraf (2019) explores these complexities, shedding light on the hurdles faced by female students in Pakistan, ranging from cultural and religious constraints to economic issues and insufficient sports facilities. The literature on media representation of sportswomen provides valuable insights into historical and contemporary trends, offering a foundation for understanding the landscape of women's cricket. Bruce's (2016) exploration of the Third Wave emphasizes the evolving media rules governing sportswomen, highlighting the shift from traditional ambivalence to the mergence of a 'pretty and powerful' discourse. McDonald, McLachlan, and Spaaij (2023) extend this perspective by examining media representation during the COVID-19 pandemic, emphasizing the persistent impact of historical gendered hierarchies on women in American football.Research Design, Methodology and Data Analysis: An examination of online discourses surrounding female Pakistan cricketers from both the official pages, athletes, and fans during the 2023 T20I World Cup Series New Zealand vs Pakistan was conducted. The investigation spanned from November 30, 2023, to January 30, 2024, focusing on prominent platforms—Instagram and Facebook—as these were the two most popular platforms utilised by both players, and the PCB. As well as a platform-specific analyses, our search titles included 'Pakistan Women Cricket team' and 'female Pakistan cricketers.' Furthermore, it focused on #NZWvPAKW and #BackOurGirls hashtags. Bruce’s (2016) Rules of Media Coverage framework was adopted for the analysis of these discourses. Findings and Discussion: On Instagram, the hashtag #NSWvPAKW accrued 227 posts while #BackOurGirls was captured in 6,012 posts, with Facebook, having 1.9K for #NSWvPAKW and 23K for #BackOurGirls. Bruce's framework below was used to showcase instances of athletes' nonsport-related life, comparison to men's sport, sexualization, ambivalence, and disparities in recognition. Infantilization: the use of phrases such as «It’s not the job of girls to play cricket” (translated), «Well done Girls,» and «Girls, your hard work and skill make the nation proud» contributes to the infantilization of female cricketers. Non-Sport Related Aspects: the comment “Send me the WhatsApp numbers of these players” request for athletes' WhatsApp numbers, raises concerns about privacy invasion, emphasizing the importance of setting clear boundaries in the realm of sports. Sportswomen Don’t Matter: phrases like 'waste of money,' 'burden on the economy,' and the suggestion to prioritize a charity organization over women's cricket reflect a devaluation of women's sports, aligning with the rule that downplays the significance of female athletes. Comparison to Men’s Sport: comparing Bisma with Babar’s joke of 2023 *laughing faces* employs dismissive language, potentially gender stereotypes that suggest women's performances are not as significant as men's. Sexualization: explicit language and suggestive symbols, and icons like cucumbers and eggplants, in the comments section contribute to the objectification of individuals within the women's cricket context.Ambivalence: comments like 'You should be washing dishes at home,' 'Go to the kitchen,' and 'Take a ticket to Dubai and return from Dubai to Karachi to cook dal 😊' reflect deep seated gender stereotypes, perpetuating the idea that women's roles should be limited to domestic tasks rather than excelling in sports. Conclusion: The preliminary findings point to systemic gender bias, economic and social neglect, and a stark social media disparity between men's and women's cricket. Using Bruce's (2016) framework we can see how the achievements of women cricketers, reinforce traditional gender norms on one hand and challenge them on another. This research is limited in scope and considers only one snapshot in time, further research is required to deepen our understanding of media representations and challenges underpinning women's cricket in Pakistan. There is also a need for longitudinal studies on media representation, intersectional barriers, and female and male player experiences.
Original language | English |
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Title of host publication | EASM 2024: Abstracts Book |
Publisher | European Association for Sport Management |
Pages | 56- 57 |
Number of pages | 2 |
Publication status | Published - Sept 2024 |
Event | European Sport Management Conference - Paris, France Duration: 3 Sept 2024 → 6 Sept 2024 Conference number: 32nd |
Conference
Conference | European Sport Management Conference |
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Country/Territory | France |
City | Paris |
Period | 3/09/24 → 6/09/24 |
Notes
WIP - PLKeywords
- sportswomen
- Media
- representation
- cricket
- Pakistan
- sport