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Gender Marginalization in Sports Participation through Advertising: The Case of Nike

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  • Kirsten Rasmussen

    (Department of Sociology, Brigham Young University, 2008 JFSB, Provo, UT 84602, USA)

  • Mikaela J. Dufur

    (Department of Sociology, Brigham Young University, 2008 JFSB, Provo, UT 84602, USA)

  • Michael R. Cope

    (Department of Sociology, Brigham Young University, 2008 JFSB, Provo, UT 84602, USA)

  • Hayley Pierce

    (Department of Sociology, Brigham Young University, 2008 JFSB, Provo, UT 84602, USA)

Abstract

The sport sector functions as a site of health-promotion by encouraging and enabling individuals to invest in their health and giving them tools to do so. This investment is often initiated by, or altered by, role modeling, or seeing other individuals engaging in sport. This could include family or peers but could also include depictions of sport in popular media. Inclusive role-modeling could subsequently encourage more sport participation, thus expanding access to health benefits that arise from sport. However, stereotypical depictions of sports role models could make sports seem like a more exclusive space and discourage participation. We examine a case study of a prominent athletic brand and their advertising to examine the ways they expand or reify stereotypes of gender in sport. Through a qualitative content analysis of 131 commercials released by Nike in the past decade, we explore whether their stated goals of being a socially progressive company extend to genuinely diverse and inclusive portrayals of gender in their commercials. Our results indicate that Nike commercials continue to treat sports as a predominantly and stereotypically masculine realm, therefore marginalizing athletes who are female, who do not fit traditional gender binaries, or who do not display traditionally masculine qualities. We also find that the bulk of athletes portrayed by Nike are those who adhere to gender stereotypes. Despite their purported goal of encouraging individuals to participate in sports, Nike’s promotion of gendered sport behaviors may be having an opposite effect for some consumers by discouraging sports participation for those who do not align with the gendered behavior Nike promotes. The stereotyped role modeling of the sport sector portrayed in a majority of Nike commercials could dissuade already marginalized individuals from participating in the health-promoting behaviors available through sport.

Suggested Citation

  • Kirsten Rasmussen & Mikaela J. Dufur & Michael R. Cope & Hayley Pierce, 2021. "Gender Marginalization in Sports Participation through Advertising: The Case of Nike," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(15), pages 1-22, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:18:y:2021:i:15:p:7759-:d:599003
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Fink, Janet S., 2015. "Female athletes, women's sport, and the sport media commercial complex: Have we really “come a long way, baby”?," Sport Management Review, Elsevier, vol. 18(3), pages 331-342.
    2. Janet S. Fink, 2015. "Female athletes, women's sport, and the sport media commercial complex: Have we really “come a long way, baby”?," Sport Management Review, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 18(3), pages 331-342, July.
    3. Hoppner, Jessica J. & Vadakkepatt, Gautham G., 2019. "Examining moral authority in the marketplace: A conceptualization and framework," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 95(C), pages 417-427.
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    Cited by:

    1. Susanna Geidne & Aurélie Van Hoye, 2021. "Health Promotion in Sport, through Sport, as an Outcome of Sport, or Health-Promoting Sport—What Is the Difference?," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(17), pages 1-3, August.
    2. Jungwon Min, 2022. "Effects of Mixed-Gender Competition: Choking under Pressure in a Dynamic Tournament," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(8), pages 1-14, April.
    3. Cavdar Aksoy, Nilsah & Yazici, Nihal, 2023. "Does justice affect brand advocacy? Online brand advocacy behaviors as a response to hotel customers’ justice perceptions," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 73(C).

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