Empowering and oppressive: the lived experiences and social politics of women golfers in regional Australia

Abstract

This research provides an overview of the lived experiences of women golfers at regional Australian golf clubs, a cohort of sports participants who are often advantaged in their access to leisure time, but also often disadvantaged by the intersection of both (women) gender and (older) age. Specifically, this study provides a critical examination of the experiences of 53 women (purposively and snowball sampled) survey participants from 13 different golf clubs in regional Australia. Reflexive thematic analysis was used to analyse data received from the open-ended survey questions. This study explores the simultaneous shared lived experiences of these women golfers as they relate to both oppression and empowerment. These empowering experiences range from creating friendships, camaraderie and engaging in a variety of social interactions, while oppressive experiences relate to a range of structural and cultural barriers that women golfers face. These shared simultaneous experiences are explored using a third-wave feminist lens.