Sport and the New Zealand male: In pursuit of the ideal self: A dissertation submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Bachelor of Parks and Recreation Management

Abstract

The aim of this research is to establish the role and importance of sport, for male New Zealanders, in their development of an ideal male image. This research was developed principally to act as a pilot study on which further research on this topic can be based. In this study 29 males were selected (using the 'snowball' sampling technique) from 5 sports clubs within the cities of Christchurch and Timaru. These subjects varied in age, skill, and level of competitive participation. Each subject was required to complete an 8 page questionnaire, a 'Characteristic Evaluation' exercise, and answer 8 questions verbally in a semi-structured interview. These questions were either taken directly from existing measures, adapted from existing measures, or were devised by the researcher from relevant psychological literature. The results of this research indicate that sport is indeed used by New Zealand pakeha males, to develop their ideal self. It was found that the ideal self consists of what the pakeha male wants to be, and what he feels society wants him to be. Therefore, both perceived social and personal (intrinsic) benefits are developed through sports participation. The social influence, in particular, was found to involve characteristics associated with the perceived New Zealand male stereotype, as well as the influence of significant others, such as friends. This social influence, and the importance of perceived social values, reflects a continuation of past social influence in male sports participation.