‘Belonging' within White male-dominated sports business management programmes

Patriarchal Whiteness dominates the sports sector and sports business university classrooms. This echo effect maintains a cyclical pattern of oppression whereby only certain voices are heard and certain bodies are seen. Belongingness has the power to address injustices and facilitate the feeling of connection that can transcend social identity markers. This paper explores the experiences of students studying a White male-dominated degree in the United Kingdom (UK). In total, 10 sports business management students (undergraduate and postgraduate) were interviewed in relation to gender, race/ethnicity and belonging within their course. Findings demonstrated that belonging was more straightforward for male students who made connections with ease. Sense of belonging, however, was not entirely connected with Whiteness or gender but rather a shared sense of meaning and passion for sport. The subject of sport has the power to unify and facilitate belonging. This study has important ramifications for universities in relation to subject identity, student retention, course design and critical pedagogy.