Speakers
Description
Our research provides an understanding of how knowledge about gender in UK Higher Education sport courses is taught and experienced. We discuss our recent research on the ways in which gender relations on Higher Education sport courses are manifest and experienced by students and staff. Drawing on data from two projects, one a case study and one a larger analysis of gender and curriculum on UK HE sports courses, we critically discuss current curriculum design and the ways in which knowledge about gender is made visible, where and how. We then consider the ways knowledge about gender can be marginalised, as well other examples of presenting knowledge as gender neutral. Drawing on the voice of student and staff we critically discuss the ways in which learning or teaching about gender is experienced. We frame our discussion by utilising Elias concepts on the sociology of knowledge to consider who decides what knowledge is taught, and how this is related to broader power relations, and how it is taught and valued on courses.
The significance of this research is that students often go on to work in the sport sector where issues of everyday sexism, the gender pay gap and issues around equality are being contested and reinforced. As sociologists of sport our pedagogy and curriculum content is central to addressing issues of equity and diversity in sport.
