IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/reecon/v79y2025i2s1090944325000304.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Discrimination in access to sports associations: the effects of gender, origin and income

Author

Listed:
  • Anne, Denis
  • Moussi-Beylie, Florian

Abstract

This study employs the correspondence test method to investigate discrimination in access to sports clubs in France. This involves sending requests for information to sports clubs. Eight fictitious candidate profiles were created to assess three discrimination criteria: gender, ethnic origin, and income level. The profiles sent emails to 1,200 sports clubs, requesting information on access to training for four different sports, chosen for their highly gendered practices. The results demonstrate the absence of quantitative discrimination in three of the four sports tested. Nevertheless, there is a considerable disadvantage for the three criteria in horseback riding, a sport with considerably higher practice costs than the other disciplines under investigation. Furthermore, the content of the emails received suggests a preference for the reference candidate over the North African and opposite-sex candidates.

Suggested Citation

  • Anne, Denis & Moussi-Beylie, Florian, 2025. "Discrimination in access to sports associations: the effects of gender, origin and income," Research in Economics, Elsevier, vol. 79(2).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:reecon:v:79:y:2025:i:2:s1090944325000304
    DOI: 10.1016/j.rie.2025.101053
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1090944325000304
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.rie.2025.101053?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to

    for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Goldin, Claudia D. & Rouse, Cecilia, 2000. "Orchestrating Impartiality: The Impact of “Blind†Auditions on Female Musicians," Scholarly Articles 30703974, Harvard University Department of Economics.
    2. Thomas Breda & Julien Grenet & Marion Monnet & Clémentine van Effenterre, 2019. "Role Models féminins : un levier efficace pour inciter les filles à poursuivre des études scientifiques ?," Post-Print hal-02443152, HAL.
    3. Lippens, Louis & Vermeiren, Siel & Baert, Stijn, 2023. "The state of hiring discrimination: A meta-analysis of (almost) all recent correspondence experiments," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 151(C).
    4. repec:hal:journl:hal-04264874 is not listed on IDEAS
    5. John Goddard & John O. S. Wilson, 2009. "Racial discrimination in English professional football: evidence from an empirical analysis of players' career progression," Cambridge Journal of Economics, Cambridge Political Economy Society, vol. 33(2), pages 295-316, March.
    6. Denis Anne & Sylvain Chareyron & Marie-Axelle Granié & Yannick L’Horty, 2024. "Gender Gap in Access to the Driving Licence: Experimental Evidence from France," Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 56(25), pages 2947-2958, May.
    7. Sylvain Chareyron & Laetitia Challe & Yannick L’Horty & Pascale Petit, 2022. "Can subsidies paid directly to employers reduce residential discrimination in employment? An assessment based on serial field experiments," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 59(6), pages 1202-1218, May.
    8. Sylvain Chareyron & Louis-Alexandre Erb & Yannick L'Horty, 2023. "Assessing Discrimination in Access to Higher Education: Results from a Field Experiment," Annals of Economics and Statistics, GENES, issue 151, pages 121-145.
    9. Guul, Thorbjørn Sejr, 2023. "Political Solutions to Discriminatory Behavior," American Political Science Review, Cambridge University Press, vol. 117(2), pages 719-733, May.
    10. David Neumark, 2018. "Experimental Research on Labor Market Discrimination," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 56(3), pages 799-866, September.
    11. Sylvain Chareyron & Yannick L’Horty & Pascale Petit, 2023. "Cream skimming and discrimination in access to medical care: A field experiment," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 32(8), pages 1868-1883, August.
    12. Laetitia Challe & Sylvain Chareyron & Yannick L'Horty & Pascale Petit, 2020. "Discrimination dans le recrutement des grandes entreprises : une approche multicanal," TEPP Research Report 2020-01, TEPP.
    13. Marianne Bertrand & Sendhil Mullainathan, 2004. "Are Emily and Greg More Employable Than Lakisha and Jamal? A Field Experiment on Labor Market Discrimination," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 94(4), pages 991-1013, September.
    14. Acolin, Arthur & Bostic, Raphael & Painter, Gary, 2016. "A field study of rental market discrimination across origins in France," Journal of Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 95(C), pages 49-63.
    15. Thomas Breda & Julien Grenet & Marion Monnet & Clémentine van Effenterre, 2019. "Role Models féminins : un levier efficace pour inciter les filles à poursuivre des études scientifiques ?," Post-Print hal-02443152, HAL.
    16. Roberto Pedace, 2008. "Earnings, Performance, and Nationality Discrimination in a Highly Competitive Labor Market as An Analysis of the English Professional Soccer League," Journal of Sports Economics, , vol. 9(2), pages 115-140, April.
    17. Mathieu Bunel & Yannick L'Horty & Souleymane Mbaye & Loic du Parquet & Pascale Petit, 2021. "Testing for Discrimination in Leisure Accommodation," Annals of Economics and Statistics, GENES, issue 141, pages 23-48.
    18. Cecilia Rouse & Claudia Goldin, 2000. "Orchestrating Impartiality: The Impact of "Blind" Auditions on Female Musicians," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 90(4), pages 715-741, September.
    19. L'Horty, Yannick & Mahmoudi, Naomie & Petit, Pascale & Wolff, François-Charles, 2022. "Is disability more discriminatory in hiring than ethnicity, address or gender? Evidence from a multi-criteria correspondence experiment," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 303(C).
    20. Zschirnt, Eva & Ruedin, Didier, 2016. "Ethnic discrimination in hiring decisions: A meta-analysis of correspondence tests 1990–2015," EconStor Preprints 142176, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics.
    21. James J. Heckman, 1998. "Detecting Discrimination," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 12(2), pages 101-116, Spring.
    22. Andrew Hanson & Michael Santas, 2014. "Field Experiment Tests for Discrimination against Hispanics in the U.S. Rental Housing Market," Southern Economic Journal, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 81(1), pages 135-167, July.
    23. M. Bunel, 2021. "Testing for Discrimination in Leisure Accommodation," Post-Print hal-04714129, HAL.
    24. Alexandre Flage, 2018. "Ethnic and Gender Discrimination in Rental Housing Market, Evidence from Meta-Analysis of Correspondence Tests, 2006-2017," Working Papers 2018-04, CRESE.
    25. Neil Longley, 2006. "Racial Discrimination," Chapters, in: Wladimir Andreff & Stefan Szymanski (ed.), Handbook on the Economics of Sport, chapter 83, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    26. Nesseler, Cornel & Gomez-Gonzalez, Carlos & Parshakov, Petr & Dietl, Helmut, 2023. "Examining discrimination against Jews in Italy with three natural field experiments," Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Economics (formerly The Journal of Socio-Economics), Elsevier, vol. 106(C).
    27. Yannick L'Horty & Naomie Mahmoudi & Pascale Petit & François-Charles Wolff, 2022. "Is disability more discriminatory in hiring than ethnicity, address or gender? Evidence from a multi-criteria correspondence experiment," Post-Print hal-03906747, HAL.
    28. Helmut M. Dietl & Carlos Gomez-Gonzalez & Paolo Moretti & Cornel Nesseler, 2021. "Does persistence pay off? Accessing social activities with a foreign-sounding name," Applied Economics Letters, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 28(10), pages 881-885, June.
    29. Yannick L’Horty & Naomie Mahmoudi & Pascale Petit & François-Charles Wolff, 2020. "Discriminations dans le recrutement des personnes en situation de handicap : un test multi-critère," TEPP Research Report 2020-05, TEPP.
    30. Phelps, Edmund S, 1972. "The Statistical Theory of Racism and Sexism," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 62(4), pages 659-661, September.
    31. Rasmus K. Storm & Cornel Nesseler & Marthe Holum & Andreas Nygaard & Tor Georg Jakobsen, 2023. "Ethnic discrimination in Scandinavia: evidence from a field experiment in women’s amateur soccer," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 10(1), pages 1-10, December.
    32. repec:wly:soecon:v:81:1:y:2014:p:135-167 is not listed on IDEAS
    33. Flage, Alexandre, 2018. "Ethnic and gender discrimination in the rental housing market: Evidence from a meta-analysis of correspondence tests, 2006–2017," Journal of Housing Economics, Elsevier, vol. 41(C), pages 251-273.
    34. Cornel Nesseler & Carlos Gomez-Gonzalez & Helmut Dietl, 2019. "What’s in a name? Measuring access to social activities with a field experiment," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 5(1), pages 1-7, December.
    35. Andrew Hanson & Michael Santas, 2014. "Field Experiment Tests for Discrimination against Hispanics in the U.S. Rental Housing Market," Southern Economic Journal, Southern Economic Association, vol. 81(1), pages 135-167, July.
    36. Lawrence M. Kahn, 1991. "Discrimination in Professional Sports: A Survey of the Literature," ILR Review, Cornell University, ILR School, vol. 44(3), pages 395-418, April.
    37. Carlos Gomez-Gonzalez & Cornel Nesseler & Helmut M. Dietl, 2021. "Mapping discrimination in Europe through a field experiment in amateur sport," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 8(1), pages 1-8, December.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. L'Horty, Yannick & Mahmoudi, Naomie & Petit, Pascale & Wolff, François-Charles, 2022. "Is disability more discriminatory in hiring than ethnicity, address or gender? Evidence from a multi-criteria correspondence experiment," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 303(C).
    2. Mbaye, Souleymane & Bunel, Mathieu & L'Horty, Yannick & Petit, Pascale & Parquet, Loïc du, 2020. "Discriminations in the market for “Lemons”: A multicriteria correspondence test in France," Economics of Transportation, Elsevier, vol. 24(C).
    3. Souleymane Mbaye, 2019. "Trois évaluations d’actions de lutte contre les discriminations," Erudite Ph.D Dissertations, Erudite, number ph19-01 edited by Pascale Petit, December.
    4. Carlos Gomez-Gonzalez & Cornel Nesseler & Helmut M. Dietl, 2021. "Mapping discrimination in Europe through a field experiment in amateur sport," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 8(1), pages 1-8, December.
    5. Kai Barron & Ruth Ditlmann & Stefan Gehrig & Sebastian Schweighofer-Kodritsch, 2025. "Explicit and Implicit Belief-Based Gender Discrimination: A Hiring Experiment," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 71(2), pages 1600-1622, February.
    6. Flage, Alexandre, 2018. "Ethnic and gender discrimination in the rental housing market: Evidence from a meta-analysis of correspondence tests, 2006–2017," Journal of Housing Economics, Elsevier, vol. 41(C), pages 251-273.
    7. Auspurg, Katrin & Schneck, Andreas & Thiel, Fabian, 2020. "Different samples, different results? How sampling techniques affect the results of field experiments on ethnic discrimination," EconStor Open Access Articles and Book Chapters, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics, vol. 0.
    8. Zanoni, Wladimir & Duryea, Suzanne & Paredes, Jorge, 2024. "Exploring Gender Discrimination: A Multi-Trial Field Experiment in Urban Ecuador," IDB Publications (Working Papers) 13705, Inter-American Development Bank.
    9. Lippens, Louis & Dalle, Axana & D'hondt, Fanny & Verhaeghe, Pieter-Paul & Baert, Stijn, 2023. "Understanding ethnic hiring discrimination: A contextual analysis of experimental evidence," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 85(C).
    10. Gouveia, Filipe & Nilsson, Therese & Berggren, Niclas, 2020. "Religiosity and discrimination against same-sex couples: The case of Portugal's rental market," Journal of Housing Economics, Elsevier, vol. 50(C).
    11. Giovanni Busetta & Fabio Fiorillo & Giulio Palomba, 2021. "The impact of attractiveness on job opportunities in Italy: a gender field experiment," Economia Politica: Journal of Analytical and Institutional Economics, Springer;Fondazione Edison, vol. 38(1), pages 171-201, April.
    12. Alexandre Flage, 2018. "Ethnic and Gender Discrimination in Rental Housing Market, Evidence from Meta-Analysis of Correspondence Tests, 2006-2017," Working Papers 2018-04, CRESE.
    13. Hannah Van Borm & Louis Lippens & Stijn Baert, 2022. "An Arab, an Asian, and a Black guy walk into a job interview: ethnic stigma in hiring after controlling for social class," Working Papers of Faculty of Economics and Business Administration, Ghent University, Belgium 22/1054, Ghent University, Faculty of Economics and Business Administration.
    14. Chen, Yiu Por (Vincent) & Zhang, Yuan, 2018. "A decomposition method on employment and wage discrimination and its application in urban China (2002–2013)," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 110(C), pages 1-12.
    15. Irma Baraku & Giovanni Busetta, 2025. "Statistical and taste-based discrimination in the labor market: an analysis of European Countries to identify optimal policy interventions," Quality & Quantity: International Journal of Methodology, Springer, vol. 59(1), pages 621-638, February.
    16. Schaerer, Michael & du Plessis, Christilene & Nguyen, My Hoang Bao & van Aert, Robbie C.M. & Tiokhin, Leo & Lakens, Daniël & Giulia Clemente, Elena & Pfeiffer, Thomas & Dreber, Anna & Johannesson, Mag, 2023. "On the trajectory of discrimination: A meta-analysis and forecasting survey capturing 44 years of field experiments on gender and hiring decisions," Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Elsevier, vol. 179(C).
    17. Ghekiere, Abel & Verhaeghe, Pieter-Paul, 2022. "How does ethnic discrimination on the housing market differ across neighborhoods and real estate agencies?," Journal of Housing Economics, Elsevier, vol. 55(C).
    18. Raymond Fisman & Daniel Paravisini & Vikrant Vig, 2017. "Cultural Proximity and Loan Outcomes," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 107(2), pages 457-492, February.
    19. repec:osf:socarx:e5hfc_v1 is not listed on IDEAS
    20. Marianne Bertrand & Esther Duflo, 2016. "Field Experiments on Discrimination," NBER Working Papers 22014, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    21. David Neumark, 2018. "Experimental Research on Labor Market Discrimination," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 56(3), pages 799-866, September.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;

    JEL classification:

    • J15 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of Minorities, Races, Indigenous Peoples, and Immigrants; Non-labor Discrimination
    • L31 - Industrial Organization - - Nonprofit Organizations and Public Enterprise - - - Nonprofit Institutions; NGOs; Social Entrepreneurship
    • L83 - Industrial Organization - - Industry Studies: Services - - - Sports; Gambling; Restaurants; Recreation; Tourism
    • Z20 - Other Special Topics - - Sports Economics - - - General

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:reecon:v:79:y:2025:i:2:s1090944325000304. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/inca/622941 .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.