Inclusionary and exclusionary banter: English club cricket, inclusive attitudes and male camaraderie

Abstract

Sport has traditionally been a hostile environment for lesbian, gay and bisexual (LGB) people. More recently, however, research on a range of British sports has documented a considerable shift toward inclusivity for sexual minorities. Curiously, despite its global popularity, no research has yet measured attitudes toward homosexuality in cricket. By drawing on 12 semi-structured interviews with a club cricket team in the South East of England, we show inclusive attitudes toward homosexuality in sport and society. We also explore how forms of ‘banter’ among members of the club are complex and multifaceted. Accordingly, we propose that banter in grassroots cricket can be conceptualized into ‘inclusionary’ forms (incorporating how a close team relationship can facilitate inclusive forms of banter) and ‘exclusionary’ forms (incorporating jokes which transgress acceptable forms of banter). This research therefore acts as a point of departure for further investigations of the operation of banter across different levels of sport.