Minority male athletes' description of their experiences with controlling aggression in non-sport settings: A case study

• Main Author: Pommier, LaToya R. B
• Format: Dissertation
• Language: English
• Published: ProQuest Dissertations & Theses 01.01.2016
• Subjects: Psychology; Social psychology; Sociology
• ISBN: 9781369416596; 1369416598

The purpose of the study is to provide a comprehensive review of extant literature on how minority male athletes report their experiences with controlling aggression in non-sport settings. Aggression and the antecedents and influencing factors thereof will be extensively explored to frame the subject being explored. The study effectively contextualizes the role of aggression in various sports, noting the value thereof in many sport contexts. The athlete identity and the manner in which racial identity and ethnic background influence athletic identity are explored comprehensively. This basis of literature and theory is applied to a consideration of extant qualitative research concerning the perceptions of minority male athletes in terms of their control of aggression in non-sport settings. The methodology applied is that of an exploratory phenomenological analysis capitalizing upon extant qualitative and quantitative literature, in concert with an empirical qualitative instrument. Following the compilation and assessment of relevant literature on the subject, the study undertook a thematic analysis of the articles to identify common themes and trends therein. The analysis of extant data was used to inform the interview instrument, through which eight minority male athletes: four Black, two Hispanic, and two Mixed Race/Hispanic and Black, participated in an in-depth interview to explore their experiences with controlling aggression in non-sport settings. The results of the study provided substantial insight into the research questions being explored. Aggression in minority male athletes in extant literature is over-represented, supported through both quantitative data through research and also athletic statistics concerning aggressive behavior. The qualitative instrument however revealed a strong capacity on behalf of the participants to control their aggression in non- sport settings. No participants communicated an aggressive disposition, while many noted that their ability to control their aggression and anger stemmed from their participation in the high-pressure environment of athletics.