Introduction
The aim if this article is to use techniques in ethnographic research to understand various gender issues in the setting of a golf club. The study specifically investigates ways in which gender issues emerge while being a member at the golf club. An ethnography framework is employed due to its capacity to give descriptive, interpretive, evaluative and probable authentic revelation of culture. Golf clubs have been perceived as interesting social settings that have a culture of glorying the male of female.
Summary of Review of Literature
Gender influence ‘the nature of the societal correlation among men and women and shows that status and communal ranks are influenced by culturally. Looking at the situation at the golf club men access as much as doubles the chances and public resources. Most considerably, the men run sports and show no concern of changing the imbalance. Therefore, golf is predominantly a men-orientated since it appears that collectively established obstacles that restrain women participation form the basis of oppressive gender relations in sport. In spite of these barriers, the current flow in female contribution in golf because of improved awareness of managers in golf club of career females with an income who are content to recompense the same contribution like males and look forward to equal rights in the course and clubhouse.These means that women are willing to identify themselves as equality members of the club by removing similar contribution as men.
Comments on methodology and setting
Through ethnographic research technique the study wanted to comprehend gender relations in a golf club from the viewpoint of activities in the place. Through interview an and observation information was collected for a week at the golf club. During the event any behavior related to gender was collected and the researcher made possible interpretations via analytic narrative.
The club has 420 members of which 283 are men while 137 are female. It comprises of management team that conduct business activities and a distinct voluntary members that manage the administration of golf to the club members. The common clothing is the sportswear and majority of the people talk about their experiences in golf. The members display their identity as sports men and women, particularly golf players. Their greeting and language is informal and no significant change in behavior was observed when people interacted with their opposite sex. This could be attributed to the fact that the club member displayed high levels of interactions.
Field Notes
Approach to participation
A group of men sitting around a table were observed discussing their just completed golf round over some pints of ale. Their in depth discussion clearly revealed their desperation to win the club monthly trophy. In another group that comprised of both sexes, a woman commented that men were more competitive and is more focused in improving their skills an succeeding. Her idea was backed up by another woman who commented the women were light hearted and wanted to derive fun. From this the researcher made conclusion that the clubs members had distinct reasons as to why they got involved with the golf club and this was depicted with their behavior
Social interaction
The researchers choose a respondent who was the clubs secretary and a golf player as well. When asked about the kind of atmosphere that prevailed at the club in regards to gender and sex. The secretary responded that it was friendly with very little enmity. The interest of members is a primary concern of the club where everyone is catered for. This was revealed since there were many instances that seemed to portray friendliness among both sexes and other gender based concerns. Therefore according to the respondent, the club restricts any events of racial, sexual or gender bias by establishing a surrounding that is favorable and cool.
Inferiority
However it was also observed that some females behaved in a tense manner at some point in events that both sexes participated. This was attributed to the fact that these women had a feeling of inferiority to most male counterparts. The initial interview with the clubs secretary revealed that there was a stigma linked to women’s golf that describes them as, ‘Slow, Short and Shabby’, and female club members were completely informed of this stigma. Therefore this could have been the primary reason as to why women golfers experienced a feeling of inferiority regardless of circumstances that females are innately different from men (Vertinsky, 1994 p. 74).
Conclusion
It was seemed like members acknowledged the difference in male and female approach in golf participation and interaction. Women seemed to value the social benefits of playing golf in the club unlike Men who appeared to value progress in skill and acquisition of victory and were more concerned with competition. The atmosphere revealed evidence of friendliness and relaxation. Therefore this implies that the issue of gender discrimination is sports and particularly golf has significantly reduced to negligible levels.
Reference
Vertinsky, P. (1994). Women, sport and exercise in the 19th century. In Costa, D. M. & Guthrie, S. R. Women in sport: interdisciplinary perspectives. (pp. 63-82). Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics
