Sport and gender roles: a viewpoint from liberian adolescent girls in ghana
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Girl # 5Team Kickball ParticipantAge: 15 School: Buduburam Community School Place: Ghana, Africa Date/Time: 10/3/06 2:35 PM Gender roles of adolescent girls in the community: I am coming up good. My parents teach me how to become better. I am obedient and I take time with my life. It is important to know what you are doing. I “have to” be careful in life. One of my roles in my community is to clean, especially help people to clean the garbage. My other role is to give respect. It is a role you learn as a female because if you do not learn to be respectful, your children will do it to you. I feel good about my gender roles in my community. As an obedient child, people in the community will do something to make you feel good. In need, they will give to you. You will feel good because they make you to feel good. Gender roles of adolescent girls who play sports: “I really love sport!” I feel fine playing sport. “It (sport) makes the body build up good.” Before I played sport, I thought my legs would hurt me. But sport is good. I don’t get sick because I train, but those who don’t play get sick. My friends also used to laugh at me when I made mistakes in kickball, but now they encourage me. Sport is better and good for girls coming up. It helps me. I would like to play basketball but my friends tell me I’m too short. The community likes young girls playing sports. Now that I play kickball, I have to rush to finish my work to go play sport. So my family and neighbors can get mad at me. Girl # 6Non-Participant of Team SportsAge: 15 School: Fundamental Baptist Place: Ghana, Africa Date/Time: 10/6/06 12:25 PM Gender roles of adolescent girls in the community: I like to be by myself. I do not like to play among people other than two friends with whom I can share a few things. I have decided to be alone because not everybody has good ways. I can be free only a little in the community. There’s nothing to do here, but I like to teach others how to sing. It feels good to teach. I am proud. Gender roles of adolescent girls who play sports: I don’t like sport, but it is good for the girls who like it. Most people like girls playing sport. Girl # 7Non-Participant in Team SportsAge: 16 School: Blessed Wisdom Institute Place: Ghana, Africa Date/Time: 10/6/06 2:10 PM Gender roles of adolescent girls in the community: I am hardworking, cooperative, and I contribute to the community by helping others. I have the talent needed to do the type of work in the community, so I help others to work. “I see myself as a good person and the community respects me.” I am also not abusive or violent, and I am close to older people. The community expects you (girls) to be respectful, do work, and to clean up the community. It is your (girls’) duty to clean. “I feel good” about my roles in the community. Because of my roles, people will not think badly about me. The community will help me when I’m in trouble because they know I am good. They see me as respectful. Gender roles of adolescent girls who play sports: Some girls play sport because they favor it and others play because they see other girls playing. Many see girls as captains of their team so they want to become captains also. Some girls don’t play sport so good. Some members of the community “love” seeing girls play football. They think that girls are growing up with something good. They think that girls are exercising their bodies and making others within the community and Liberia proud. They think that when girls play well, they make the team proud. The community “favors” girls playing. Note: Some girls use the words ‘football’ and ‘kickball interchangeably. Girl # 8Non-Participant of Team SportsAge: 13 School: A-47 Christian Fellowship Place: Ghana, Africa Date/Time: 10/7/06 1:00 PM Gender roles of adolescent girls in the community: It is important not to be selfish. I advise others, especially children, within the community. I advise children to do better things so their parents will like them and so they will stay out of trouble. I also advise parents to bring up their children correctly. If I’m a mother, I would teach children how to manage properly. It is also important to learn. Learning things outside of school is important. There is no end to learning. My role is to give an education to children and to take care of children. “I feel very responsible” about my roles in the community. I believe that anything a male can do a female can do and males can do what females can do. They both can do many things. “I feel pleased in my heart” when I give advice to others. Hatred is not good and I release hatred when I educate others. Gender roles of adolescent girls who play sports: “It (sport) is good for the health.” Sport is healthy for the mind and body. Exercise fights sickness. I like to jog and run, but I don’t play sport because I have asthma. I work in the house, and working in the house is exercise. Teachers always encourage girls to be responsible, and they encourage girls to play sport and get exercise. Community members think sport is important for girls. Men and ladies encourage girls to play sport to show that it is important for both girls and boys to play and because girls are the future for tomorrow. Girl # 9Non-Participant in Team SportsAge: 14 School: A-47 Christian Fellowship Place: Ghana, Africa Date/Time: 10/7/06 1:30 PM Gender roles of adolescent girls in the community: Camp is not good for you, and I feel badly being on the camp. I’m a child on the camp. I help clean the environment, I help my mother to cook, and I help my friends get fresh water. “I feel good about my responsibility in the community.” Gender roles of adolescent girls who play sports: “I feel good when I see them (girls) playing sport.” Some people believe that girls don’t really go to play sport rather they go to do other things. But if people see girls playing sport, they feel good. |