Football-female: its social dynamics in Venezuela

Abstract

Women have achieved spaces in different spheres of society after many struggles and the sports sector is no exception. In Venezuela, more and more women interact in women's football, breaking limitations and stereotypes that lead to the search for manifestation from a claim for gender equality that allows the positioning of women in society with a view to promoting cultural change with the acceptance of women playing football. The purpose of this study is aimed at generate theoretical contributions about the socio-political dynamics of football-female participation in Venezuela. Methodologically, it is based on the qualitative paradigm that required a hermeneutic investigation, not only of the text but also of the context. It is an interpretive type of field research. A structured interview with seven questions was used, and it was addressed to ten women who have interacted in Venezuelan women's soccer. The informants were represented by: three players, three coaches, two referees, and two managers. In addition, an opinion survey was applied. The findings obtained reveal that women still find limitations for their incursion into spaces historically reserved for men, including disciplines such as football. This study sends contributions about the dynamics of Venezuelan women in women's soccer, with the ultimate goal of connecting socio-political trends with the visions of women who perform and practice football, thus establishing a new frame of reference in Venezuela's academic and sports field.