Sociocultural processes and outcomes in the integration of a semi-professional women’s team into a professional men’s football club in Scandinavia
研究通过访谈11名参与者，探讨了女子半职业足球队融入男子职业俱乐部过程中的社会文化主题，发现表面性别平等与深层性别等级并存，资源增加但地位次要。
Research question We aim to explore how sociocultural elements of the integration of a women’s semi-professional football team into a men’s professional football club in Scandinavia are perceived and experienced by those involved in and impacted by the process.Research methods Our case study design draws on interview data from in-depth semi-structured interviews with eleven participants holding different roles across both the women’s and men’s clubs, including board members, administrative staff, coaches and players.Results and findings Three key sociocultural themes emerged that were central to the integration process and outcomes: (1) maintaining a culture of trust and identity as a community-rooted club, (2) perceived trust and justice in gendered hierarchies and (3) the coming together of club cultures. Our findings across these themes were somewhat contradictory, with surface-level narratives of gender equality contrasting with clear signs of gender hierarchies and resultant potential challenges and threats to long-term successful integration. Post-integration benefits for the women’s club were clear to see, particularly with increased resources, but such benefits are balanced with secondary status in the integrated club.Implications Our findings demonstrate the importance of research on mergers and integrations of sport organisations adopting multi-level and nuanced perspectives. This is because processes, outcomes, opportunities and threats span strategic and sociocultural elements, are highly context-specific and influence different actors and stakeholders in different ways and at different times. Such research can support the development of post-integration plans that are dynamic and address changing contexts, needs and priorities.