ERIC Number: EJ1133445
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2017
Pages: 17
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1357-3322
EISSN: N/A
The Life of a Gay Student in a University Physical Education and Sports Department: A Case Study in Turkey
SaraƧ, Leyla; McCullick, Bryan
Sport, Education and Society, v22 n3 p338-354 2017
While Turkey is mostly a Muslim country, officially it is a secular country; traditional gender roles are still maintained, and homosexuality is a taboo subject. The Turkish sporting world is no exception; it also excludes and ignores the existence of homosexuals and homosexuality. Using a single case study, this study aimed to contribute to fill the gap in the understudied subject of homosexuality in physical education (PE) and sports literature through investigating the experiences of a gay male Turkish PE and sports major. The respondent was aged 25 and a fourth-year undergraduate student at the time. Purposive sampling was used to select the respondent based on his willingness to participate in the study and a semi-structured interview allowed for data to be collected regarding being gay in Turkey, and in particular in the PE and sports environment. The four major themes derived from the analysed interview data were (1) conflicting feelings about coming out of the closet, (2) life in the Turkish community, (3) life in a PE and sports department and (4) perceived roots of homophobia. The findings indicated that the respondent's disclosure of his sexual orientation to friends resulted in positive reactions; however, he still hesitates to acknowledge his homosexuality publicly. Traditional gender roles, misconceptions about homosexuality and homosexuals and religion were perceived as the most influential factors for homophobic attitudes and behaviour in Turkish society. His experiences in Turkey's world of PE and sports were rife with homophobia.
Descriptors: Foreign Countries, Homosexuality, College Students, Physical Education, Athletics, Males, Majors (Students), Semi Structured Interviews, Emotional Response, Self Disclosure (Individuals), Social Influences, Educational Environment, Social Bias, Sex Role, Misconceptions, Religious Factors
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Turkey
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A