Sport Research Assignments: Gender & Race

Use this page to find sources for the Sport & Gender Summary and the Informative Presentation: Race & Sport.

Assignment 1: Sport & Gender Summary

Find a peer-reviewed journal article about masculinity, heteronormativity, femininity, or sexuality and sport that is at least seven pages long. Summarize your selected article.

Find Peer-Reviewed Articles

Search@UW sample searches:

• Heteronormativity AND sport
• Femininity AND sport
• Sexuality AND sport
• Gender Identity AND sport

Search@UW

• Pay attention to subject headings in relevant records to find additional materials.
• Limit results to peer-reviewed articles.
• Try combining keywords in Advanced Search.
• You can also limit by format to find videos for presentations.

Assignment 2: Informative Presentation — Race & Sport

Trace the racial and ethnic history of your assigned U.S. sport and explain factors that contribute to racial equity or divide within the sport.

Assignment Components

1. Research
2. Present
3. Document

Present

• Create a group slide-show presentation.
• Use a mix of text and visuals.
• You may include short videos if they support your presentation.

Document

• Use APA style.
• Include in-text citations on slides after each quote, paraphrase, or summary.
• Each in-text citation should match a full reference on the References slide.

Research: What to Find

1. General History of the Sport

• Where and when did the sport originate?
• What major changes occurred at the professional, Olympic, and college levels?
• What are the current attendance and viewership numbers?
• A short timeline across 3 to 4 slides works well for this section.

2. Racial and Ethnic History

• Think in terms of integration, segregation, and celebration.
• Identify key dates, turning points, and important athletes of color.
• Include college, Olympic, and professional milestones when relevant.
• Include segregated leagues, exclusionary practices, or barriers.
• Find diversity, inclusion, or equality initiatives connected to the sport.
• Include current racial demographics of the sport.

3. Geographic and Economic Factors

• How do climate, facilities, or playing surfaces affect access?
• What states or cities produce the most athletes in the sport?
• What equipment is needed, and what does it cost?
• What do youth programs cost in different settings?
• Compare lower-cost programs with private coaching, academies, and travel teams.

Best Databases for Race & Sport

• SPORTDiscus     best starting point for sport-specific scholarship, participation, access, and sport history.
• SocINDEX with Full Text     strong for race, inequality, identity, institutions, and social issues in sport.
• PsycINFO     useful for identity, stereotypes, bias, and social psychology related to sport.
• Social Sciences Citation Index     helpful for finding influential scholarship and following citations.
• Academic Search Complete     a good supporting database for interdisciplinary or background material.

Suggested starting order: SPORTDiscus → SocINDEX with Full Text → PsycINFO

Quick Search Tips

• Use quotation marks for phrases such as "track and field" or "racial identity".
• Combine concepts with AND.
• Use synonyms with OR.
• Add terms such as history, segregation, integration, demographics, youth sport, or access to narrow your topic.

Targeted Keyword Searches

Use these examples to find information in the databases above or the library catalog. Replace [sport] with your assigned sport.

General History of the Sport

• "[sport]" AND history AND "United States"
• "[sport]" AND origins OR development
• "[sport]" AND "professional leagues" OR Olympics OR college
• "[sport]" AND timeline OR evolution
• "[sport]" AND popularity OR viewership OR attendance

Racial and Ethnic History

• "[sport]" AND race AND history
• "[sport]" AND segregation OR integration
• "[sport]" AND "racial discrimination" OR inequality
• "[sport]" AND "Black athletes" OR "athletes of color"
• "[sport]" AND "civil rights" OR activism
• "[sport]" AND "diversity initiatives" OR inclusion
• "[sport]" AND demographics OR participation rates

Geographic Factors

• "[sport]" AND geography OR regional participation
• "[sport]" AND climate OR facilities OR access
• "[sport]" AND "United States" AND regions OR states
• "[sport]" AND urban OR rural OR suburban

Economic and Access Factors

• "[sport]" AND cost OR affordability
• "[sport]" AND equipment AND price
• "[sport]" AND "youth sport" AND access
• "[sport]" AND "travel teams" OR AAU OR "club sports"
• "[sport]" AND "pay to play" OR barriers
• "[sport]" AND "socioeconomic status"

Searchable Research Questions

Use these questions in Consensus. Replace [sport] with your assigned sport.