The number of women in sport has dramatically increased since the passage of Title IX. Most research on Title IX has focused on the impact of the legislation on opportunities for girls and women as participants, coaches, and administrators. This study takes a step in a different direction. In addition to surveying female athletic administrators on their perceptions of the impact of Title IX on their careers as women working in intercollegiate athletics, the researchers sought also to examine the perceptions held by men and the impact the legislation had on them, specifically on their careers as men working in intercollegiate athletic administration. Hence, this study focused on the impact Title IX has made on the careers of women and men working within intercollegiate athletic administration.
Method:
The participants for this study were 1275 (N=1275) women (n=497) and men (n=778) working in intercollegiate athletic administration at NCAA Divisions I, II, II, as well as at NAIA schools, and junior colleges. The Female Sport Manager Career Survey was chosen to collect data and included demographic information of age, educational background, income, and race. The open-ended questions included previous positions, past and current work experience, and family and/or sport connections to intercollegiate athletics.
Analysis/Results:
For this descriptive study, frequencies were calculated for the quantitative data using SPSS 19.0. A blended (quantitative and qualitative) content analysis was utilized for the remainder of the study. The quantification of qualitative data led to some interesting results regarding the impact Title IX had on women and men working in intercollegiate athletic administration. The primary impacts on careers described by the women in the study were (a) increased job opportunities for women, (b) no impact, and (c) increased opportunities for participation. The men, on the other hand, indicated the greatest impacts on careers as (a) no impact, (b) discrimination against qualified men, and (c) increased job opportunities for women.
Conclusions:
Throughout a person's professional career, events in an individual's external environment can impact one's career path. The passage of Title IX can be considered an event at the societal level which would impact the career paths of people working in intercollegiate athletics. Understanding the impact Title IX had on these individuals provides women and men greater insight on how important Title IX has been and continues to be in an effort to achieve gender equity.