Arve Hjelseth & Jorid Hovden
Department of Sociology and Political Science,
Norwegian University of Science and Technology
In 2017, the Norwegian Football Federation (NFF) decided to offer the men’s and the women’s national teams an equal share of the revenue from the federation’s sponsorship deals. This was regarded as a groundbreaking event in the history of women’s football. This article examines the process that led to this result by exploring the discourses of gender justice negotiated in the process. Two parts of the process are particularly analyzed: (1) discourses prior to the formal negotiations and (2) discourses during the formal negotiations themselves. Our theoretical approach relies on critical discourse analysis, on Rao, Stuart, and Kelleher’s conceptualization of forms of power in decision-making processes, and on Nancy Fraser’s framework on how to achieve gender justice in organizations and society. Methodologically, interviews with representatives of core institutions in the process were conducted. Two main discourses are identified: a discourse grounded in market logic and meritocracy, applied by the NFF, and a discourse rooted in democracy and gender justice, applied by several institutional stakeholders. The main findings indicate that the decision was the result of extensive pressure from institutions applying discourses of gender justice and social recognition. From the perspective of the NFF, gender justice was not an end in itself, but rather an instrument to generate goodwill and increased sponsorship revenue. The NFF’s insistence on applying the market discourse was countered by more diverse discourses. This points to a possible shift in gender politics, emphasizing democracy, gender justice, and social recognition.
Click here to read this peer reviewed article in Scandinavian Sport Studies Forum, Vol. 15, 2024
ARVE HJELSETH is a Professor of the Sociology of Sport at the Department of Sociology and Political Science, The Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway. His main research interests include the commercialization of sports, sport spectators, youth sports, gender in sports, and the emergence of lifestyle sports.
JORID HOVDEN is a Professor Emerita at the Department of Sociology and Political Science, The Norwegian University of Science and Technology, in Trondheim, Norway. She has published widely in the field of gender power relations and the gendering of sport organizations. Her special focus has been on recruiting processes, leadership and gender political strategies in sport politics and coaching. She is a past president of the Association for Gender Research in Norway.
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