The Ethnography of Homosociality among Gay Athletes in an All-Male Collegiate Team

Abstract

The study examined the shared beliefs, values, and group norms of gay athletes in dealing with heterosexual males in a homosocial environment (all-male collegiate sports team). It employed the gay athletes' narratives on their actual experiences in joining a male collegiate sports team and interrelating with heterosexual male members. The goal of the study was to determine the shared beliefs, values, and group norms of the gay athletes in a homosocial interaction as reflected in their personal experiences in joining an all-male collegiate team. Likewise, this study aimed to construct theoretical propositions based on the in-depth exploration and thematic analysis of the qualitative data taken from the real-world experiences of gay athletes in dealing with heterosexual males in a homosocial environment (all-male collegiate sports team). The analyses were based on the three subjects derived from the respondents' narratives: (a) belief - the group expectations of how one should behave or act in a particular situation; (b) values - what is considered good, desirable, and correct; and (c) social norms - the event that embodied ones' perception of reality. The study used an online Focus Group Discussion (FGD) to collect and gather the cultural experiences of the respondents. This study serves as a good medium to express the gay athletes' right to be heard, specifically their socio-cultural roles in a 'macho' community which have not been completely delivered to the audience due to the lack of an in-depth study. Also, this study serves as an avenue in delivering the narratives of gay athletes in an all-male collegiate team, which intends to find a new concept dimension in exploring their beliefs, values, and norms that reflect the true socio-cultural narrative of experiences in the homosocial world.

Keywords: ethnography, homosociality, gay athletes, homosocial culture, social identity.