Document Type : Original Article
Authors
1
PhD student in Sports Management, Razi University, Kermanshah, Iran
2
Associate Professor of Sports Management, Razi University, Kermanshah, Iran
3
Assistant Professor of Sociology Department of Kurdistan University
10.22089/rws.2025.17406.1033
Abstract
Background and Purpose
This study aims to explore the multifaceted factors that shape and enhance social mobility among female athletes, particularly focusing on the role of sports capacities within this dynamic framework. As an applied research endeavor, it employs a descriptive survey methodology for robust data acquisition and analysis. The target statistical population encompasses all female athletes. Employing Cochran's formula to calculate the appropriate sample size under non-specific conditions, the study identified a requisite cohort of 384 participants for statistical validity. Data were meticulously gathered through a structured questionnaire crafted into two core sections. The initial portion captured detailed demographic data, including age, gender, marital status, educational level, and a spectrum of additional personal attributes. The subsequent segment delved into a comprehensive evaluation of factors instrumental in advancing social mobility among female athletes, placing special emphasis on sports-related capacities. The instrument design incorporated four distinct subscales with measurement anchored on a 7-point Likert scale to elicit nuanced participant responses. To assure face and content validity—a critical requirement for precision in measurement—the questionnaire underwent rigorous scrutiny and validation by a panel of seasoned sports management professors recognized as experts. Construct validity was established via exploratory factor analysis, ensuring the instrument's dimensional integrity. Furthermore, the questionnaire’s reliability was authenticated by calculation of Cronbach's alpha coefficient, as independently ratified by Ghazar. An array of inferential statistical methodologies, notably exploratory factor analysis and path analysis, were employed to interrogate the data for meaningful patterns and relationships. Analytical procedures were executed using sophisticated software platforms—SPSS and AMOS version 23. Outcome metrics underscored that gender justice factors exerted the most substantial total impact on the enhancement of social mobility for female athletes, with a quantified effect size of 0.59 within the model emphasizing sports capacities. Coinciding influential dimensions included behavioral factors (effect size 0.55), structural factors (0.56), and group factors (0.52). Internal component analysis accentuated the primacy of gender justice factors, which commanded the highest average rank of 12.7, further reinforcing their critical contribution to social mobility progression.
Methods
The study foregrounds the vibrant role that women's sports play in knitting social capital, which facilitates individual empowerment and bolsters self-esteem. However, it acknowledges that the pathways through which social mobility translates into tangible rewards transcend mere horizontal or lateral networking. Transformations into enhanced social capital streams—whether bridging, bonding, or sports capital—are subject to strict regulation and remain atypical within broader societal structures. Through an integrative review of extant literature coupled with primary empirical research, the analysis posits that sports may function as a potent vehicle for social mobility via key mechanisms such as income generation, employment advancement, academic achievement, and social prestige elevation. Crucially, the literature and empirical data converge on the observation that access to and outcomes from these opportunities remain unevenly distributed, revealing marked disparities and inequities. The central inquiry addresses the capacity of sport to serve as a conduit for social mobility across heterogeneous social cohorts. Furthermore, it interrogates the modalities and extents to which divergent forms of social mobility can be fostered through sustained engagement in sports. The publication 'Sport and Social Mobility: Crossing Borders' is referenced as part of this ongoing discourse, critically examining how sport may simultaneously facilitate and restrict upward mobility. Embedded in this theoretical context, our research rigorously investigates determinants influencing the advancements in social mobility among female athletes, with a regional emphasis on Iranian sports capacities. Methodologically, this research adopts a descriptive, survey-based framework geared toward applied outcomes. Encompassing the entire female athlete population in scope, sampling employed Cochran's formula to arrive at the 384-subject sample threshold. The data collection instrument comprised two integral sections: demographic indices and factors promoting social mobility improvement, particularly related to sports capacities, articulated across four subscales with responses quantified via a 7-point Likert format. To uphold methodological rigor, expert panels in sports management validated content and face validity, exploratory factor analysis substantiated construct validity, and reliability assessment via Cronbach’s alpha attained endorsement from Ghazar. Data were analyzed through exploratory factor analysis and path modeling using SPSS and AMOS version 23.
Results
Application of Varimax rotation in exploratory factor analysis revealed retention of four factors with eigenvalues exceeding the canonical threshold of one, collectively accounting for 75.701% of total variable variance—a substantial proportion signifying model robustness. Correlational analysis evidenced significant interrelationships among latent constructs influencing social mobility among female athletes, focusing sharply on sports capacities. The highest inter-factor correlation featured group factors vis-à-vis gender justice (r = 0.59), while the lowest was situated between structural factors and gender justice (r = 0.45), delineating nuanced conceptual linkages. Importantly, gender justice exerted the strongest total effect size (0.59) on social mobility advancement metrics. Complementing this, behavioral factors (0.55), structural aspects (0.56), and group-based dynamics (0.52) also manifested significant effects on model indicators reflecting social mobility enhancement within the female athlete cohort. Average ranking of internal components within these factors highlighted gender justice as paramount, with a metric value of 12.7, underscoring its pivotal governance over social mobility trajectories where sports capacities are concerned.
Conclusion
Findings prompt a nuanced perspective for decision-makers, cautioning against prioritization of rapid yet superficial outputs. Instead, an ethos emphasizing substantive engagement with impacted groups—such as persons with disabilities—is underlined. Within the sociological paradigm constructed for enhancing social mobility specifically among female athletes and tuned to Iranian sports capacities, accentuated attention toward gender justice and organizational justice dimensions emerges as indispensable for realizing profound and sustainable social advances.
Article Message
This research was conducted in strict adherence to all prevailing ethical prescriptions governing human subject investigations. Every stage conformed to approved standards, with participant confidentiality preserved and informed consent duly procured before involvement. Data was exclusively harnessed for bona fide research goals.
Authors’ Contributions
Conceptualization: Arash Zarei, Shirin Zardoshtian
Data Collection: Homayoun Abbasi, Hossein Eydi
Data Analysis: Lugman Emamgholi, Arash Zarei
Manuscript Writing: Shirin Zardoshtian, Homayoun Abbasi
Review and Editing: Hossein Eydi, Lugman Emamgholi
Funding Responsibility: Arash Zarei
Literature Review: Shirin Zardoshtian, Homayoun Abbasi
Project Management: Arash Zarei
Other Contributions: All authors contributed to the final manuscript approval.
Conflict of Interest
The authors report no conflicts of interest regarding this publication.
Acknowledgments
The authors gratefully acknowledge the invaluable cooperation of all participating professors, advisors, and peer reviewers who provided insightful scientific and methodological guidance integral to the study's success.
Keywords
