This call for papers seeks manuscripts that address the contemporary intersection of boys and youth sport to be published in the Spring 2017 issue of Boyhood Studies: An Interdisciplinary Journal. Evidence-based papers from a variety of fields are welcome; international and compara- tive contributions are especially welcomed.
The special issue is intended to explore contemporary empirical findings in the study of boys and sport in light of the changing face of masculinities. One key area is the possible encounter of inclusive masculinity theory with youth sports, the possible implications of such an encounter with sporting participation, attitudes and subcultures designed for, and as engaging by boys worldwide.
Background
In the late nineteenth century, increasing concerns with the feminisation of men led to sport being utilised as a vehicle for the conditioning of masculine behaviours among boys in the Anglo-American world. Sport was a key vehicle in the development of an orthodox archetype of masculinity, through both the hierarchical structure of sport, and its cultural norms of homophobia, misogyny, violence and stoicism.
However, the twenty-first century has seen a remarkable decrease in cultural homophobia and thus an expanding array of gender possibilities for young men. As such, sport’s role in the staging and validation of extreme forms of masculinity may be importantly decreasing. It is in this cultural zeitgeist that this special issue aims to address: to understand contemporary intersections of boys, young masculinities and youth sport.
Suitable topics include but are not limited to:
- Boys’ (changing) attitudes towards sport (holistically or individual sports)
- Why boys join or drop out of sport
- The role of sport in post-industrial, televisual, network, and digital societies
- How young masculinities are presented, constructed and/or validated across various sporting sub-cultures • Attitudes, policies and practices informing sports-related injury and pain in young male athletes
- Gender-segregated and gender-integrated sports
- Current interfaces between sport and sexism
- Sports and the single-sex education debate
- Boys and sports culture: fandom, sports gaming, sports media and the young male demographic
Article Submissions
Submissions should be original works that are not previously published or currently under consideration for another journal or edited collection. Please submit a 200-word abstract, up to 6 keywords and a 500-1000 word summary outline of your proposed article by 1st August 2016.
E-mail submissions and inquiries to the Guest Editor, Adam White: AJWhite109@gmail.com Authors will be notified if they have been selected for inclusion by 15th August 2016.
Authors will be required to submit a full draft (5000-7000 words in length) by November 1, 2016. Submission of a full draft does not guarantee acceptance. All papers will be reviewed in accordance with the journal’s peer-review policy.
Boyhood Studies is published and distributed in print and online by Berghahn Journals Visit BHS online for further details, including submission guidelines: www.berghahnjournals.com/boyhood-studies