The Communication of Opportunities and Barriers to Prospective Applicants: An Analysis of Interscholastic Athletic Administrative Job Announcements

Authors

  • John J. Miller
  • Warren A. Whisenant
  • Paul M. Pedersen

Abstract

Job announcements often work to either encourage or discourage prospective applicants. The purpose of this investigation was to determine if gender bias existed within the job announcements for interscholastic athletic administrators. The study’s results revealed that over a two-year period there were 301 advertisements for positions in the state analyzed. Of these positions, 220 (73%) required the applicant to coach a boys’ sport, predominately football (94%). Sixty-eight percent of the announcements required the person to serve as the head football coach. In the state examined for this study, the head football coach is the exclusive domain of men as there are no women in that position. Thus, if the majority of the announcements required a person to hold the dual role of athletic administrator and head football coach, evidence of a systematic gender bias was present in the majority of the announcements. Hegemonic masculinity is sustained through such systemic practices.?

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Published

2007-04-26

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Section

Articles