Concussion in women’s sport
Interest in issues connected to concussion and other traumatic brain injuries connected to sport have risen dramatically in the last decade. While the majority of the attention has been directed at men’s sport, more recent research has highlighted specific issues within women’s participation.
In this regard, there have been tentative conclusions suggesting that:
There is a higher prevalence of concussion in women’s sport
There appears to be different mechanisms that cause the majority of women’s concussions
Post-concussion outcomes may be worse for women than men
Such conclusions are complicated by cultural norms that produce a relative under-reporting of concussions and there appears to be a set of important, yet under-researched gender-based differences that are foundational to such experiences.
That the culture of sport can promote athletes taking risks with their physical safety has been demonstrated over multiple decades of social scientific research. A more recent phenomena within such work, due to the rapid proliferation of women participating in previously assumed ‘male sports’, has been the manner in which women have also found themselves embedded in such cultural norms.
The professionalisation of various women’s sport has resulted in increased financial rewards and a greater potential for women to carve out a career in elite sport. As such, the associated risks that have largely been the preserve of male elite athletes are increasingly over-shadowing female athletic careers.
If, as previously argued, women’s experiences of concussion have a gendered dimension, their place within the culture of elite sport requires specific targeted research in order to fully explore and examine the critical issues that they face.
In order to further expand our knowledge on this topic, this research project will seek to address the following issues:
What are the cultural specifics of concussion and traumatic brain injuries in women’s sport?
What differences and similarities are there between women’s experiences of those of men?
What can be learned from women’s experiences in order to enhance the medical provision and post-concussion outcomes.
By combining multiple research methods including immersive participant observation, interviews and a wide-ranging survey, this project will gain access to women playing in various elite sports.
The ideal candidate will be able to demonstrate a willingness to develop skills in various qualitative research methods, an interest in the broad area of study (sport/health) and an ability to work well independently as well as under academic supervision.