‘All They've Got on Their Brains is Football.’ Sport, Masculinity and the Gendered Practices of Playground Relations

Abstract

This article is concerned with an examination of the gendered playground relations experienced by boys and girls with a focus on the domination of sporting activities/games that dictate the nature of play amongst children aged ten and eleven. It seeks to explore the place of sport and in particular, the game of football in the social construction and negotiation of hegemonic masculinities that affect and position both girls and boys. The construction of the game and the consequences of its maintenance which differentially positions pupils will be explored alongside particular strategies pupils employ to resist, reject or directly challenge such positionings. The paper will then go on to describe and analyse the practices that take place to re‐construct and maintain the display of hegemonic masculinity through other sports and activities when the game of football is banned. The findings have implications for the recent call by government officials to promote and encourage traditional team sports, such as football.