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Open research questions in Sports, Gender, and Society

201 unresolved questions extracted from the limitations and future-work sections of 8,878 Sports, Gender, and Society papers in our library. Each links back to the study that raised it.

What the literature leaves open

  • This research revealed some recommendations to increase the participation of females in PESS or sports-related studies. Firstly, develop female students’ self-interest and self-confidence in this education. Secondly, increase awareness among female stu- dents’ parents and also the society or community people. Thirdly, arrange more sports- related competitions in an early stage of academic life and at the university level for female students by the government or other agencies. To foster an environment where female students feel encouraged to pursue their PESS or sportsrelated studies, female teachers must encourage their female students to develop stronger relationships with them. Improve the agency work capacity for women discrimination in Bangladesh. This research suggests for further study to pursue the current knowledge of female nature, specifically regarding the gender-related objections they face in sports-related studies. 5.1 Limitations This study has several limitations that should be acknowledged firstly, the sample size was relatively small only 25 female students were single public university in Bangladesh. Mukta et al. Discover Global Society (2026) 4:125 Page 14 of 16 Secondly, the study employed a qualitative research design based on self-reported expe- riences. Thirdly, the research focused exclusively on students and did not include per- spectives from teachers administrators or policymakers. Finally the study is context specific and reflects socio cultural conditions unique to Bangladesh therefore caution should be exercised when applying the findings to other settings.

    Structural barriers and female student agency in sports related higher education in Bangladesh · 2026 · DOI

  • This study has several limitations. First, because the analysis is based on cross-sectional data, the observed relationships should be interpreted as associations rather than causal effects. The study cannot establish temporal ordering or rule out reverse causality; therefore, no definitive conclusions can be drawn about whether family-of-origin social class or individual socioeconomic attain- ment causes differences in adult sports participation. Second, sports participation is measured using self-reported frequency, which may be affected by recall bias or social desirability bias. This measure also does not capture differences in the type, intensity, duration, or context of sports activities. Third, although the study controls for several relevant factors, unobserved variables such as health status, income, leisure time, access to sports facilities, and social support may still influence the results, leading to potential omitted-variable bias. Fourth, family-of-origin social class is a complex concept, and its measurement may not fully reflect all relevant dimensions, such as parental education, income, occupation, and cultural capital.

    The association between educational attainment and sports participation: gender differences and the moderating role of family-of-origin social class · 2026 · DOI

  • Originality/value This investigation contributes to the sports marketing theory by integrating the S-O-R framework and SIT theory to explain fan behavior in a Latin American context, an underexplored geographic setting.

    When game atmosphere and crowd experience shape Latin American fans' behavior: the role of sport fan engagement · 2026 · DOI

  • Abstract The research presents novel insights by examining the underexplored role of sports fan ethnocentrism(SFE) in shaping player identification and team identification (TI), and reveals how national pride affects sports consumption behaviors.

    Beyond the Jersey: How National Bias Fuels Player Identification and Reshapes Sports Consumption · 2026 · DOI

  • As relatively recent country of immigration, Spain has not yet established a common national integration model (Cebolla Boado & González Ferrer, 2013).

    Social Cohesion Reduced to Social Ties? Sport, Leisure, and the Limits of Migrant Inclusion in Spain · 2026 · DOI

  • While the core–periphery framework of dangerous actions in sport provides a clear, visual depiction of where the risks of harm in a sport lie, there are limitations and contradictions that need further consideration. The first of these is how to determine which actions are core and which are peripheral to 12 E. RYALL AND A. BROWN any given sport. Torres (2000) initially distinguished between constitutive skill (the ability to pass a football – a core action) and restorative skill (the ability to throw a football from the sideline – a peripheral action) arguing that con- stitutive skills are more central, and therefore valuable, than restorative skills. Yet, take an action such as scrummaging in rugby union. This is a restorative skill; it only occurs as a means to restart the game after a rule infraction. It would therefore, under the framework, be considered a peripheral action to the sport of rugby. Yet there are many (prop forwards) who perceive scrum- maging as a central action to their participation. They would be incensed at any suggestion that as a high-risk peripheral action, scrummaging could be eliminated from the game. And they have a point, as although scrummaging is a restorative (peripheral) action, without it, the sport of rugby union would become more akin to the sport of rugby league: two similar but distinct forms of the game. As Stenros and Montola (2024, 52) ask: ‘Who gets to decide what is central and peripheral – and, by extension, what is meaningful in games?’ A means of overcoming this limitation is to apply a conventionalist approach advocated by Morgan (2020) which accepts that it is for the community themselves to determine which actions are more or less meaningful, and thus more or less essential (Brown and Ryall forthcoming). A further criticism of this framework is concerned with the categorisation of actions within a sport. Pike’s description of EAs involved broad actions, such as kicking, hitting and punching, and yet a plausible argument could be made that these actions could be deconstructed further. For example, punch- ing in boxing could comprise of a jab, cross, hook or upper cut. These specific actions may contain their own degrees of danger and therefore could be categorised as distinct actions in the framework. Again, a response to this criticism is that it is up to the governing body and wider sport community to determine how, and which, actions are delineated. There is also a tension between the competition requirements in certain sports, particularly the ‘extreme’ aesthetic sports. If judgements are being made about a competitor’s ability to carry out a specific skill compared with the performance of others in their class, then there is a continual pressure on increasing the level of difficulty in these skills. For example, the elite level of competition in sports such as, ‘big air’ snowboarding, Red Bull mountain rampage, vert skateboarding and others, demonstrates a significantly higher (and more dangerous) level of difficulty today than in previous years. The essential actions required in snowboarding, mountain biking or skateboard- ing do not take into account the self-directed levels of difficulty participants attempt in order to set themselves apart from the competition. A final criticism of the framework can be levelled at the different risks as applied to different populations. As noted, the risks associated with heading footballs are greater for children than they are for adults, and there may be other risks that differ across sexes, ages or those that JOURNAL OF THE PHILOSOPHY OF SPORT 13 fulfil other criteria (such as pregnancy, menopause or immunodeficien- cies). Similarly, the framework does not distinguish between immediate risks (concussion) and deferred risks (such as CTE). Adaptations and caveats to the use of the framework may be required for these elements.

    A core–periphery framework to evaluate dangerous actions in sport · 2026 · DOI

  • The study recommends the following: 1. Full implementation of NPFL divestment policies to encourage private participation 2. Tax incentives for investors in sports infrastructure. 3. Improved broadcasting agreements to increase league revenue. 4. Stronger corporate governance standards for clubs. 5. Enhanced transparency and accountability within football administration. 6. Public- private partnership models for stadium development. 7. Expansion of youth development and academy systems.

    Growing Investments and Ownership Structure of Private Clubs in the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL): An Emerging Perspective · 2026 · DOI

  • By Nwaiwu Nnochiri PhD1; Okoroafor Uzochukwu PhD2; Nwakamma Jude PhD3; Emeghara Kenneth PhD4 Department of Human Kinetics, Alvan Ikoku Federal University of Education, Owerri Tel: +234 8060180363 Email…

    Growing Investments and Ownership Structure of Private Clubs in the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL): An Emerging Perspective · 2026 · DOI

  • This study provided robust empirical evidence that participation loyalty in HYROX was predominantly shaped by sport experience and physical education–oriented factors, while marketing played a secondary and facilitative role. The findings demonstrated that loyalty was primarily anchored in community and belongingness, training readiness, event challenge satisfaction, operational and safety quality, and coaching support, reflecting the embodied, experiential, and pedagogical dimensions of high-intensity functional fitness participation. These results positioned HYROX not merely as a fitness event but as a structured system for sport participation in which sustained engagement emerged through progressive physical challenge, social integration, and effective sport management practices. Moreover, the significant difference in loyalty between 1st-time and repeat participants reinforced the role of experiential learning and repeated exposure in cultivating long-term commitment. Prior completion of a HYROX event strengthened physical confidence, psychological readiness, and identification with the sport, thereby enhancing sustained participation. Although product experience quality and place accessibility contributed to loyalty, their effects remained modest compared to core sport experience variables. At the same time, price fairness and promotional effectiveness did not exert significant influence once participants were immersed in the event’s physical and communal dimensions. Overall, the findings confirmed that the overwhelming majority of participation loyalty was rooted in physical education outcomes and the quality of sports experiences, with marketing serving as a complementary mechanism that facilitated access and reinforced value, rather than independently driving engagement. Based on the findings of this study, several evidence-based recommendations were proposed to strengthen participation loyalty in HYROX and similar high-intensity functional fitness events. First, HYROX organizers and sport managers were advised to prioritize community-building initiatives as a central strategic focus, given the strong influence of community and belongingness on participation loyalty. Structured team-based formats, peersupport mechanisms, post-event social engagement activities, and continuity programs for repeat participants were recommended to reinforce social integration and identity formation. Additionally, event designers were encouraged to maintain an optimal balance between training readiness and event challenge, ensuring that competition difficulty remained progressive, inclusive, and aligned with participants’ physical preparation to sustain motivation and perceived competence. Second, the study recommended that operational excellence and instructional support be treated as non-negotiable foundations of participant retention.

    Participation Loyalty in Hyrox: The Primacy of Sport Experience and the Effects of Marketing Support · 2026 · DOI

  • The literature attempting to explain this—often under the broad umbrella term of “sport diplomacy”—has recently been bolstered by the arrival of two very popular concepts in this area of research, “soft power” and “sportswashing,” leading to confusion and a general lack of consensus around the use of sport for non-sporting aims.

    Sports Mega-Events as Foreign Policy: Sport Diplomacy, “Soft Power,” and “Sportswashing” · 2024 · DOI

  • , staff with DEI-specific responsibilities) is a fairly recent phenomenon, and research to date has rarely examined the experiences of these DEI administrators despite the fact they are often solely charged with driving DEI within and beyond their department.

    “It’s Like Being on an Island by Yourself”: Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Administrators’ Perceptions of Barriers to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Work in Intercollegiate Athletics · 2022 · DOI

  • This is particularly relevant, though not limited to the Italian context, where political narratives and realities still legally and socially define the children of migration as alien bodies in the nation, while Turin’s urban leaderships portray youth cultures and multicultural diversity as assets for the city’s symbolic, cultural and financial regeneration.

    Contested bodies in a regenerating city: post-migrant men’s contingent citizenship, parkour and diaspora spaces · 2022 · DOI

  • It is argued that these under-explored spaces have been enacted by broader, powerful processes and the two spaces – the fan zone (‘offline’ space) and the independent Fan TV (‘online’) do now comprise two important spaces that add vibrancy, meaning and socio-cultural elements to the practice of ‘being’ a fan.

    The changing faces of fandom? Exploring emerging ‘online’ and ‘offline’ fandom spaces in the English Premier League · 2021 · DOI

  • While the level of sport fans’ ethnocentrism can play a critical role in their attitude and intention towards the globalised sport contents, little is known about the linkage of sports fan ethnocentrism (SFE) to identification and media consumption.

    Influence of sports fan ethnocentrism on identification and media consumption intention: a preliminary investigation with Taiwanese baseball fans · 2020 · DOI

  • This study is specifically concerned with people under 18 years old that are engaged with hooliganism in connection with football matches, which is an under-researched problem despite recent high-profile incidents.

    ‘It’s become fashionable’: Practitioner perspectives on football hooliganism involving young people · 2020 · DOI

  • I conclude that sports, even when widely popular, face limitations in their potential to bring people of different backgrounds together and that while organised sports prove to be a fruitful case for further research on ethnic homophily and interethnic relations, we should also temper and carefully (re)consider our expectations of its use for social integration.

    Do birds of a feather play football together? A study on ethnic segregation in Dutch amateur football · 2019 · DOI

  • Integration of refugees is an area that has been raising a relatively insufficient research interest, especially in the countries of the Southeast Europe, where the refugees, in the sense of persons who have been seeking for or were granted the international protection after the year 2000, and based on the 1951 Refugee Convention, represent a new migrant community.

    Migrants and sport: Football as an area for integration of refugees in Croatia · 2018 · DOI

  • Contributing to a growing yet underresearched area of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer issues in sport, this study interrogates news discourses of the most prominent American athletes coming-out stories to date: the National Basketball Association’s Jason Collins and the National Football League’s Michael Sam.

    Outside the Sports Closet: News Discourses of Professional Gay Male Athletes in the Mainstream · 2018 · DOI

  • Although many studies have analyzed this late 20th and early 21st century phenomenon from a microsociological perspective, looking at individual characteristics of participants, its broader relationship to class-based changes in nature of work during the neoliberal period has not been thoroughly investigated.

    Estranged Labor, Habitus, and <i>Verstehen</i> in the Rise of Extreme Endurance Sports · 2017 · DOI

  • While sport scholars have widely critiqued these initiatives, little is known about how people experience these programs against the backdrop of actually existing neoliberalism (Brenner & Theodore, 2002) and the new conditions of urban poverty.

    The Uses of an Inner-City Sport-for-Development Program: Dispatches From the (Real) Creative Class · 2016 · DOI

  • Although further analysis is warranted, it would seem that growing structural inequalities (including sport participation)—with their concomitant effects on health and quality of life—are further widened and deepened by the policy measures taken by the Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition in the UK.

    Social Exclusion and Austerity Policies in England: The Role of Sports in a New Area of Social Polarisation and Inequality? · 2015 · DOI

  • Journal of Sports Sciences, 10, 1065–1073], but little is known about how the environment of different city sizes affects sport participation and dropout.

    Place of development and dropout in youth ice hockey · 2014 · DOI

  • To date, sport research on sexuality has primarily focused on White lesbian, bisexual, and gay (LBG) persons or heterosexual racial minorities; few studies have provided meaningful insight into how sexual prejudice affects racial minorities.

    The Tipping Point: The Intersection of Race, Gender, and Sexual Orientation in Intercollegiate Sports · 2014 · DOI

  • Our work might also be usefully compared to the notion of 'interpretative reproduction,' developed in Corsaro (Citation2005), and which is used to describe the active part played by children in their own socialization, in the sense that their socialization is not limited to the incorporation of norms, models, knowledge or skills that are transmitted by adults, but rather is the result of a type of reappropriation and reinterpretation.

    Studying commitment from the perspective of collective action: the case of sport clubs in proximate surroundings · 2014 · DOI

  • \nDespite the broad contributions made by sport-based studies utilizing the theoretical propositions of social identity theory (Tajfel, 1972, 1982; Tajfel & Turner, 1979), previous work has not explored how identification develops.

    Exploring the Development of Team Identification · 2012 · DOI

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201 open questions have been extracted from the limitations and future-work passages of 8,878 Sports, Gender, and Society papers in our library. Each one below links back to the study that raised it, so you can read the original claim in context.

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