Identifying Cultural and Social Challenges of Women's Presence in Stadiums: A Qualitative-Phenomenological Approach

Abstract

The present study aims to identify the cultural and social challenges of women's presence in stadiums based on an exploratory mixed-method approach and is structured according to Colaizzi’s model in the qualitative section. A phenomenological approach was utilized in the qualitative phase. The statistical population included experts and specialists in culture, social specialists, and male policymakers in the sports industry, from whom 12 individuals were selected through snowball sampling. The research instrument consisted of in-depth interviews, and to assess the reliability of the results, Rao and Perry’s (2003) triangulation approach was applied. The validity of the research was examined using Lincoln and Guba’s (2007) construct validity approach, including external validity, descriptive validity, and interpretive validity. The modified Steutek-Colazzi-Ken method was employed for data analysis. To identify the factors, the process initially involved interviews to extract categories and concepts, resulting in 58 meaningful statements, 20 main categories, and 127 concepts. Subsequently, in the next phase, these factors underwent three rounds of screening using the Delphi technique. Ultimately, experts reached a consensus on 20 categories and 101 concepts. The research findings indicated that the challenges of women's presence in stadiums are influenced by three cultural challenges, five social challenges, and three moderating factors. Additionally, the study identified seven positive outcomes and three negative consequences. Based on these findings, seven solutions and strategies were proposed. Accordingly, to mitigate the challenges associated with women's entry into stadiums, emphasis should be placed on education, alongside cultural groundwork, allocation of facilities and amenities, and improvement of cultural infrastructure in society, accompanied by enhancing public awareness.