The Role of Cultural and Psychological Capital in Women's Athletics Involvement (A Qualitative Study)

This research aimed to investigate the role of cultural and psychological capitals in women's athletics involvement. The study's statistical population included; university faculty members, managers, athletes, and female coaches active at championship levels in Khuzestan province. Snow ball sampling procedure was processed to select the sample. Interviews were conducted with 14 individuals from the mentioned community, and theoretical saturation was achieved from the twelfth interview onward. The research method was a qualitative one with an exploratory approach. To develop the proposed model “Grounded Theory” initiated method was implemented. Data were collected through semi-structured qualitative interviews. Data analysis and coding were conducted using the open, axial, and selective coding methods. The results revealed five main contents (causal factors, background factors, interventionist factors, strategies and consequences) and 23 axial categories. The causal factors were categorized in cultural (gender equality, economic status, social factors) and psychological capitals (resiliency, hopefulness, self-efficacy and optimisms). The background factors (cultural upbringing, education and awareness, media), interventionist factors (stereotypical thinking, gender discrimination, cultural concern about appearance, lack of social support, injustice, economic constraints), strategies (cultural awareness enhancement, promotion of representation, infrastructure development, financial support), and consequences (individual dimensions, social dimensions, and cultural dimensions) were also considered. It could be concluded that cultural and psychological capitals would help to form positive attitudes towards women's involvement in athletics and increase women's empowerment and social development.