Sport Studies Seminar: QUANTITATIVE APPROACHES Research – Sport - Sociology – Ethics – History Sport Studies Seminar: QUANTITATIVE APPROACHES

Lead Lectures: Weeks 5-7 How would you explain quantitative research? What is the nature of quantitative research? When and why would we use a quantitative approach? When would a quantitative approach be inappropriate?

Quantitative Approaches Usually presuppose a positivistic approach to knowledge and understanding True/valid forms of knowledge is scientific, objective and tangible Involves precise measurements These measurements are quantitative and can be statistically tested Usually try to establish relationships, cause and effect, correlation etc.

Quantitative/Qualitative Quantitative Approaches Precise measurements Measure and test Controllable Statistically relevant Quantify and register: how much, how often, to what degree, cause and effect Prediction Generalization of results (large samples) Fixed variables Qualitative Approaches Naturalistic and interpretive Context-richness Understanding and explaining: why? Ideas, feelings, opinions and perspectives. Explanation Depth Illumination Social phenomena The approach a researcher takes is largely dependent on the specific question they are attempting to answer. These specific questions, however, reflect the researchers beliefs about what is important or significant in the context of a particular phenomena or issue (and different researchers may disagree here).

What effect has the recession had on sports participation? Quantitative approach Analysing data of sports club memberships and admissions over a period of time? Survey data? Qualitative approach Case study/ethnography Interview different groups and families regarding their own experiences of sporting participation in light of the recession? Questionnaires?

Quiz: Quantitative or Qualitative (or potentially both!?) – and why!? Is there a relationship between social class and participation in certain sporting activities? Has the participation of females in rugby union increased over the past 30 years? What are the experiences of ethnic minority groups in terms of negative stereotyping in sport? What are the attitudes of amateur football players towards alcohol? Has the traditional football fan been priced out and alienated from a hyper-commercialised football environment?

Sports Illustrated Aims an objectives? Methods? Key findings How often, and in what manner, are females portrayed in the sports illustrated? Mediated gender discourse, gender norms, sexualisation and trivialisation of female athletes Methods? Quantitative content analysis of Sports Illustrated Key findings Women only appeared on 4.9 percent of covers Womens participation minimized by sharing covers with male conterparts, featuring anonymous women not related directly to sports participation, sexually objectifying female athletes, and promoting women in more socially acceptable gender-neutral or feminine sports Contribution to sociological understanding? A window into the gendered culture of sport Gender discrimination in sport The influence of the sports-media complex in shaping gender discourse and ideology (reproduce and resist)

Binge Drinking Aims an objectives? Methods? Key findings Examine the relationship between participation in organized sport and alcohol use. Methods? Quantitative comparison of rates of binge drinking among current college athletes, former athletes, and college students who were never involved in sport. Key findings Organised sports participation is associated with binge drinking This relationship holds across racial and gendered lines The effects of exposure extend beyond time of involvement Contribution to sociological understanding? The potentially damaging role sport can play in socializing athletes into a drinking culture Do we need to address the culture of binge drinking in sports?

The Insight of Quantitative Research Quantitative research methods can provide a lot of sociological and ethical insight Especially in terms of answering the ‘what, how much, to what extent’ questions, as well as understanding relationships, effects, broad social and cultural patterns, and changes in society. These can often highlight salient areas for further qualitative research.