Examining social processes within a professional football academy using the Electronically Activated Recorder (EAR)

The proposed research will contribute to an empirical analysis of the utility of the Electronically Activated Recorder (EAR) and Athlete Coding System for Social Environments in Sport (ACSSES) to assess auditory observational data for meaningful social processes related to social identity in youth sport teams. We anticipate that observational data collected from participants’ social interactions in environments around their sport activity (e.g., commuting to/from competition, in dressing rooms) will help us better understand how social identities are developed, maintained and/or undermined within young football players (8 to 16 years of age) in professional football academies. Furthermore, we expect to learn what consequences emanate from team social identities (e.g., enjoyment, prosocial behaviour) among a unique competitive youth sample. Lastly, by collaborating and sharing my expertise of the methodology with international colleagues, I hope to expand my research network while enhancing confidence in the use of the EAR methodology in sport.

Faculty Supervisor:

Luc J Martin

Student:

Partner:

Birmingham City University

Discipline:

Sociology

Sector:

Entertainment and Media; Technology; Education

University:

Queen's University

Program: