Masculinities and Athletic Careers

Men's studies' scholars have begun to critically examine and deconstruct the meaning of masculinity, but thus far, most of their studies have focused exclusively on the lives of white, middle-class men, ignoring the implications of racial and social class differences and inequalities among men. Sport sociologists, on the other hand, have examined the causes and consequences of class and recial inequalities in the sports world, but they rarely integrate gender into their analysis—except when discussing women and sports. This study, based upon in-depth interviews with male former athletes from different race and class backgrounds, examines how these men construct and define meaning and make choices within a socially structured context. Through a comparison of the lives of white, black, and chicano former athletes in the United States, I argue that given the psychological imperatives of a developing sense of masculine identity within a structured socioeconomic context, the choice to pursue, or not to pursue, an athletic career is explicable as an individual's rational assessment of the available means to construct a public masculine identity. Organized sports is thus an institution that serves to construct gender, class, and race inequities.