Ethnic and cultural identity in young athletes across Europe: Individual differences.

Anne-Marie Elbe, Xavier Sanchez, Francis Ries, Olga Kouli & Antonis Hatzigeorgiadis FEPSAC Conference Madeira 2011 Ethnic and cultural identity in young athletes across Europe: Individual differences. The FEPSAC 2007-2011 Research Project The FEPSAC 2007-2011 Research Project The FEPSAC 2007-2011 Research Project Aim of the Presentation How are •Age •Gender •Participation in team vs. individual sports •Competitive level related to ethnic and cultural identity? And, are there cross-cultural differences? Anne-Marie Elbe The FEPSAC 2007-2011 Research Project Current Research •Hardly any sport psychological studies available investigating these variables •Boys scored higher on one aspect of ethnic identity (lack of interaction) than girls (Kouli & Papaioannou, 2009) •Minority females participate less actively in organized sports than minority males and majority females (De Knop et al., 1995) Anne-Marie Elbe The FEPSAC 2007-2011 Research Project Why could differences be assumed? The older athletes get the more xenophobic they might get? Participating in sports at an international level entails more encounters with individuals from other cultures. Team sports are often utilized to enhance cohesion in groups. Anne-Marie Elbe The FEPSAC 2007-2011 Research Project Age & Prejudice: A psychological perspective •Hardly any studies on prejudice in adolescents •Most studies about prejudice and discrimination focus on children (aged 4-12) because children tend to focus on physical attributes like skin color (Aboud, 1988). •It is hypthosized that with increasing age and cognitive maturity stereotyping decreases as children focus more on the individual •Hoover and Fishbein (1999) show stable race prejudism through adolescence but an increase in college students. Anne-Marie Elbe The FEPSAC 2007-2011 Research Project Gender & Prejudice •Male adolescents show more racism than female adolescents (Baker & Fishbein, 1996; Fishbein, 1996). •It is argued that males have more at stake and have the role of protecting the dominant culture. Anne-Marie Elbe The FEPSAC 2007-2011 Research Project Team vs. Individual Sport •Previous studies have indicated that the need for individuals to work collaboratively will encourage (or necessitate) the development of skills like a. trust (Priest, 1998) b. empathy (Moore, 2002), c. personal responsibility (Hellison, 2003) d. and cooperation (Miller et al., 1997) •Teams might offer youths a stronger feeling of belonging and identification Anne-Marie Elbe The FEPSAC 2007-2011 Research Project Competitive level •The higher the level of involvement the more contact with individuals from a different cultural background? Anne-Marie Elbe The FEPSAC 2007-2011 Research Project Sample •Only athletes (very selective sample as participation in sports underlies socioeconomic barriers) •Age 12-19 •Countries: Denmark, Germany, Greece, and Spain Anne-Marie Elbe Results: Age •No significant correlations can be found between age and cultural / ethnic identity •Exception: Slight negative correlation between age and fringe in the Greek dominant sample Anne-Marie Elbe The FEPSAC 2007-2011 Research Project Results: Gender •Some gender differences can be found •Danish females with a dominant background score higher on belonging and assimilation than males •German females with a dominant background score higher on belonging than males •Greek females with a non-dominant background score lower on fringe and higher on assimilation than non-dominant males Anne-Marie Elbe The FEPSAC 2007-2011 Research Project Results: Team vs. individual •Germans with a dominant background involved in individual sports show higher scores on fringe than team sport athletes. •Spaniards with a dominant cultural background involved in individual sports score higher on assimilation than athletes involved in team sports. Anne-Marie Elbe Results: Level of competition •No significant results Anne-Marie Elbe The FEPSAC 2007-2011 Research Project Summary •Significant differences concerning ethnic and cultural identity among the four countries •Gender differences can be found in three of the four countries •Furthermore, indications for differences between team and individual sport athletes in Germany and Spain •Age as well as participation level do not seem to be related to ethnic / cultural identity Anne-Marie Elbe Discussion •Samples are quite heterogenous concerning gender distribution and participation level •Interventions should target males more than females. •Cultural differences within Europe need to be addressed when designing interventions. Anne-Marie Elbe The FEPSAC 2007-2011 Research Project Future Research •More homogenous samples concerning cultural background, levels of participation and gender distribution. Anne-Marie Elbe The FEPSAC 2007-2011 Research Project