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World Cup Football as a Catalyst for Change: Exploring the Lives of Women in Qatar's First National Football Team – A Case Study

2014; Routledge; Volume: 31; Issue: 14 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1080/09523367.2014.935935

1743-9035

Kelly Knez, Tansin Benn, Sara Alkhaldi,

Sports Analytics and Performance

AbstractIn 2012, five Qatari women participated in a qualitative research study, which aimed to explore the negotiation of opportunity to be members of Qatar's first national women's football team. Qatar is a conservative Islamic country which is experiencing rapid modernisation. Part of this modernisation includes the increasing visibility of sport, for example the successful bid for the 2022 men's Football World Cup. In response to this bid, the first Qatari women's national football team was established in 2011. The project was positioned within a social constructivist framework. Five out of 12 squad members, over the age of 18, volunteered to participate in semi-structured interviews. Interview questions probed the women's experiences and influences on their opportunities and journey to membership in the national team. From a thematic analysis, issues such as the management of gender norms and the influence of significant others dominated the data. This research indicated that the women's agency enabled them to manage their situation with a range of strategies and to change attitudes towards women footballers. The winning of the bid to host the men's World Cup has been a catalyst for change in making spaces for Qatari sportswomen.Keywords:: QatarwomensportIslamfootball AcknowledgementsThe authors would like to extend a special thank you to Ahalm Almana, President of the Qatar Women's Sport Committee, for her support with this project, and to the five young women who shared their experiences with us.Notes 1. During 2013, Sheik Hamad Bin Khalifa Al Thani abdicated his position to allow his son, Sheik Tamin bin Hamad Al Thani, to take up the position of ruling Emir. This was the largely anticipated and culminating result of purposeful succession planning between the previous and current Emir. 2. See http://www.qsa.gov.qa/eng/index.htm 3. Qatar National Development Strategy 2011–2016: Towards Qatar National Vision 2030, Qatar National Vision 2030. 4. Qatar National Development Strategy 2011–2016 (2011, 196–203). 5.CitationAmara, Sport, Politics and Society. 6. See CitationAl-Misnad, “The Dearth of Qatari Men.” The author here is not to be confused with Sheikha Mozabint Nasser Al Missned, mother of the current Emir. 7. Hadith Book 14, Number 2572. 8.CitationJawad, Al-Sinani and Benn, “Islam, Women and Sport.” 9.CitationSfeir, “The Status of Muslim Women.”10.CitationJiwani and Rail, “Islam, Hijab and Young.”11.CitationKnez, “Being Muslim”; CitationPalmer, “Soccer and the Politics.”12.CitationMitra, “Challenging Stereotypes.”13.CitationWalseth and Fasting, “Islam's View.”14.CitationStrandbu, “Identity.”15.CitationDagkas, Benn and Jawad, “Multiple Voices.”16.CitationBenn, Pfister and Jawad, Muslim Women and Sport.17.CitationSfeir, “The Status of Muslim Women”; CitationDaiman, “Women in Sport”; CitationJawad, Al-Sinani and Benn, “Islam, Women and Sport.”18.CitationEl Faquir, “Women and Sport”; CitationKoushkie Jahromi, “Physical Activities”; CitationKoca and Hacisoftaoglu, “Religion and the State.”19. See CitationBenn, Pfister and Jawad, Muslim Women and Sport, for examples.20.CitationAl-Ansari, “Women and Sports.”21.CitationAl-Sinani and Benn, “The Sultanate of Oman.”22. In this context, covering occurs through the national dress for women (the long black abaya, or coat-like garment, over the body, and sheila wrapped around the head) and men (long white thawb over the body, with the ghutra held in place by the ogaal on the head). Social sanctions, however, are not as severe should a man choose not to wear the national dress in certain contexts.23. This practice will vary from family to family, depending on adherence to religious and cultural practices. For example, some Qatari women will also ‘unveil’ in front of uncles, father in-laws, etc.24.CitationDwyer, “Veiled Meanings.”25.CitationDahl, “Intercultural Research.”26.CitationElias, The Society of Individuals.27.CitationGoffmann, The Presentation of Self.28.CitationDahl, “Intercultural Research.”29.CitationShilling, Changing Bodies.30.CitationAl-Sinani et al., “Exploring Provision and Practice.”31.CitationGarrett, “Gendered Bodies,” 141.32.CitationBourdieu, “The Forms of Capital.”33.CitationElias, The Society of Individuals, 182.34.CitationShah, “The Researcher Interviewer,” 56935.CitationTuhiwai Smith, Decolonizing Methodologies.36. Ibid., ix.37.CitationMarquardt, “Successful Global Training.”38.CitationAl-Sinani et al., “Exploring Provision and Practice.”39.CitationShah, “The Researcher Interviewer,” 564.40.CitationShah, “The Researcher Interviewer.”41.CitationBarna, “Stumbling Blocks.”42.CitationHaw, “Exploring the Educational Experiences,” 329.43.CitationShah, “The Researcher Interviewer,” 558.44. Kluckhohn and Murray, in 1948, cited in CitationMennell, “The Formation of We-Images.”45.CitationBlaikie, Designing Social Research; CitationDenzin and Lincoln, Handbook of Qualitative Research.46.CitationRobson, Real World Research; CitationThomas, How to Do.47.CitationBraun and Clarke, “Using Thematic Analysis”; CitationJoffe and Yardley, “Content and Thematic Analysis.”48.CitationMeta, “Merata Mita On,” 30.49. Islamically speaking, hijab refers to the complete attire a Muslim wears to maintain modesty, such as long sleeved pants and shirt, and head covering. In practice, there is much variation in how ‘hijab’ is both defined and adopted. Here authors are referring to arms, legs and hair covered.50.CitationHargreaves, Sporting Females.51.CitationAl-Sinani et al., “Exploring Provision and Practice.”52. In 2013, Ahalm Almana was also the recipient of the IOC World Trophy for outstanding contribution to the development of women's participation in sport and sports administration.Additional informationNotes on contributorsKelly KnezKelly Knez (Ph.D.) is a research scientist at Aspetar – Qatar Orthopaedic and Sports Medicine Hospital. Her research interests include the intersections of religion and ethnicity with health and physical activity.Tansin BennProfessor Tansin Benn is currently a visiting Professor at the University of Plymouth, Her main research interests are in the field of gender, ethnicity and religion in the UK and internationally.Sara AlkhaldiSara Alkhaldi is studying a Bachelor of Law at Qatar University.