make it wisely for the better world
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assalamualaikum w.b.t
Today, i wanna share bout my research ..entitled INTEREST IN FOOTBALL, MEN OR WOMEN?
lets us start the journey ~~~
1.0 INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background information
The
topic of football becomes a ‘hot issue’ especially when a grand match or
tournament is at the peak such as English Premier League Cup or the World Cup
(once in every 4 years). During these times, many people will have their eyes
glued onto these matches especially those simply interested in football or a
fanatic fan.
Basically, the word ‘interest’ can
be defined as engaging or exciting and
holding the attention or curiosity (Dictionary.com, no year). Meanwhile, according to Oxford Students’ Dictionary
(2011), football is a sports’ game that is played by two teams, comprise of
eleven players in each team, who try to kick a sphere ball into a goal during a
football a match. In the United States, soccer is the usual word for this sport
as the Americans refer the word ‘football’ to American football. The player of
this sport is often referred to as football player or footballer.
Generally, this sport has been
played worldwide and according to an article entitled FIFA
Survey: approximately 250 million footballers worldwide (2006), a survey that was conducted showed that
there are more than 250 millions of footballers worldwide & this number is
gradually increasing year by year. In addition, football or soccer had emerged as
the world’s most popular team sport during the 20th century
(Dunning, 1999).
According Bobbert et. al. (2007), initially, football was dominated on and beside the football field by males. Also, the football topic is often dominated and discussed by male rather than female. On the contrary, the female tried to avoid watching football match and they simply judged the sport as twenty-two men running across the field chasing a sphere ball, trying to kick the ball into a goal pitch.
However this view had changed during these recent years. Now, female too had their interest in football with the breakthrough of organised women's association football (Gregory, 2005) and more female have become a football supporter with more female attending football matches. In addition, a survey entitled ‘Target Audience’, conducted by YouGov in January 2005, found 72% of all respondents (both male and female) took an interest in football in a sample of 1616 respondents aged above 16. This shows that nowadays female also have interest in football. Thus, it is essential to find out the gender that is more interested in football, the reasons and the advantages as well as disadvantages of the interest.
1.2 Objectives
I. To identify which gender is more interested in football
II. To find out the reason(s) why they are interested or not interested in football
To identify the advantages and disadvantages of interest in football
1.3 Research questions
I. Which gender is more interested in football?
II. What is/are the reason(s) they are interested in football?
III. How interest in football can bring advantages & disadvantages to students?
2.0 METHODOLOGY
The data for the study was obtained through a set of questionnaire.
2.1 The respondents
The respondents of Malaysia- Japan International Institute of Technology (MJIIT) were chosen for the study. 40 students (20 female and 20 male) were chosen to complete the survey.
2.2 The instrument
The relevant data for the study was obtained through a set of questionnaire. The questionnaire was used to enquire the students’ view on the interest of football among students.
2.3 Research procedure
The first step was choosing the respondents. Once they were identified, a set of questionnaire was given to be answered. There were altogether 21 questions in the questionnaire. The analysis of data was then started after the questionnaire was collected.
3.0 FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION
The results of the research would be first presented in non linear forms before discussing them in details.
3.1 Interest of football among MJIIT students
Figure 1
Based on Figure 1, more male students are interested in football than female students, as there were 15 male and 7 female respondents who indicated their interest in football. This indicates that football is popular among students, regardless of the sexes.
From the figure, it can be concluded that male students are likely to be more interested in football than that of female. Out of 22 students who are interested in football, almost 91% of them agreed to the opinion of saying that male students are more interested in football than the female. Nevertheless, this does not eliminate the fact that female also have set their eyes upon football although the remaining of 4.5% saying that female is more interested in football while another 4.5% does not indicate which gender is more interested in football. According to Jackson (2010), in her own circle of friends, there are some of her female friends profess to be football expertise as an attempt to show their vast knowledge and interest in the sports.
Among those who are interested in football, only 3 male respondents answered that they started to be interested in football when they were about less than 10 years old. The remaining 18 respondents: 11 male & 7 females stated that they only started to favour football when they were above 10 years old meanwhile one respondent does not state anything.
Hence, it can be concluded that male students are more interested in football compared to the female and they started to get interested in football when they were above 10 years old.
3.2 Reasons for being interested/not interested in football
This section is separated according to the gender, then followed by their views of being interested or not interested in football.
Figure 2
3.2.1 Reasons for being interested in football
Figure 3
Figure 2 and 3 show the distribution of the reasons for being interested in football among students. Comparing both figures, it can be seen that both genders stated that the main reason they like to watch football game is because they want to fill their pastime. Out of 14 male students, 5 of them chose the answer. As for female students, from the total of 7 that are interested in football, 2 of them also chose the same answer for that of the question.
More male respondents like to watch football game to show support towards their favourite team with 4 respondents and 2 female respondents who would be doing the same. In addition, 2 of the male respondents answered they are interested in football as to follow the trend flow, unlike female respondents where 1 respondent choose to like football just to follow with the trend.
In addition, more male respondents are interested in football game due to influence from their peers with 2 respondents and only one from the female respondent choose the factor.
In the context of supporting local and international football team, more female respondents support local team with 7 respondents and 3 male respondents who would be doing the same. Nevertheless, the male prefer to support international team with 12 respondents whereas none of the female respondents supported the same team.
3.2.2 Reasons for being not interested in Football
Referring to the figures above, both male and female respondents agreed to the reason they are not interested in football is because they think that there are other things that are more interesting than the sport itself; this was answered by 100% of the male respondents who are not interested in the sport, meanwhile their counterparts, 85.7% of the female respondents answered the same reason.
Not only that, 1 female respondent said that the reason she are not interested in football is because football is a sport that is full of drama and dirty play. Toback (2011) pointed out that football is always played in unethical manner where bribery, fixed matches and many more have become a common practise in nowadays soccer. When these happen, the outcome of the games had already been decided and therefore had become the factor that contributes to students’ disinterest in football.
Moreover, 1 female respondent stated that she is disinterested because she is sick with football, whereby they have lost interest towards the sport.
3.3 Advantages/Disadvantages of Interest in Football to Students
3.3.1 Advantages of Interest in Football to Students
Figure 7
According to Figure 6, 2 male respondents said that being interested in football may help in sharpening one’s thinking skills. The 6 male respondents also said that by having interest in football can encourage one to involve in a healthy lifestyle, enhance unity among people and widen their knowledge in sports. When a person is watching a football game, he does not only watch to support his favourite football team, but also observing the game; strategy, the players’ style and many more.
However, this view differs for their counterparts as shown in Figure 7. The female respondents are interested in football as 4 of them think that the sport can enhance unity among people. Unlike males who usually watch games with such a strong desire to have their favourite team to win the match, females are more likely seeking friendship or create a new bond among themselves while watching the match as supported Borman & Kudek (1987). They further pointed out that boys are more likely to take an active and direct approach when it comes to their interest, in contrast to girls’ characteristically more tentative. Plus, when it comes to social orientations, girls are likely to seek friendships and engage in activities that are cooperative.
Comparing to the male respondents, only 3 and 2 female respondents respectively said that football can help in widening the knowledge about sports and football can encourage self to involve in healthy lifestyle. Lastly, only 1 female respondent stated that football do sharpen the thinking skills.
3.3.2 Disadvantages of Interest in Football to Students
According to Figure 8 and 9, 7 male respondents mostly believed that having interest in football is such a waste of time; be it watching it live at the stadium or on TV meanwhile only 5 female respondents agree to this statement. This opinion collaborates with the findings in 3.2.2, where both genders stated that they prefer of other things rather than football.
Another reason is that in football, provocation among fans can easily happen as being answered by 3 male and 7 female respondents. Provocation sometimes happens before, during or after football match which is usually referred to as ‘football hooliganism’. Football hooliganism is unruly and destructive behaviour—such as brawls, vandalism and intimidation—by association football club fans, as mentioned in an article entitled ‘Another Sorry Outbreak of the English Disease’ (2005).
Plus, respondents of both genders that are disinterested in football are due to they feel that the football crowd is too noisy that it disturbs other people around as answered by 2 male and 7 female respondents.
4.0 CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS
4.1 Conclusion
To conclude, the male students are more interested in football than the female. The main reason students are interested in football as chosen by both male & female students is to show support towards their favourite team. In contrast to that, the main reason of disinterest in football for both genders is there are other things that are more interesting than football. The advantage of being interested in football for the male respondents is it encourages one to involve in a healthy lifestyle while the female respondents indicated that football can enhance unity among people. However, it is also found that those who are not interested (both genders) consider interest in football as a disadvantage because it is a waste of time.
4.2 Recommendations/Suggestions
Future researchers may do further research on the same topic by:
increasing the number of respondents
including the UTM staffs as respondents
including the interest between national and international team as one of the objectives
REFERENCES
Another Sorry Outbreak of the English Disease. (2004). Retrieved January 31, 2012 from
http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/leading-articles/another-sorry-outbreak-of-the- english-disease-730590.html
Bobbert et. al. (2007). Gender-specific Aspects of Football Expertise: Implications of Two Prospective Observation Studies. United States Sports Academy – America’s Sports University, Retrieved December 4, 2011, from http://www.thesportjournal.org/article/gender-specific-aspects-football-expertise- implications-two-prospective-observation-studies.htm
Borman K. M. & Kurdek L. A. (1987). Gender Differences Associated with Playing High School Varsity Soccer. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, Vol. 16, No. 4, p. 379-400, Retrieved December 4, 2011 from
http://www.springerlink.com/index/32285453733548U3.pdf
Definition of Interest. (no year). Retrieved December 4, 2011 from http://www.dictionary.reference.com/browse/interest
Dunning, E. (1999). The Development of Soccer as a World Soccer Game. Spirit Matters: Sociological Studies of Sport, Violence and Civilisation. London: Routledge. p. 103, Retrieved December 5, 2011 from
http://books.google.com/books?id=X3lX_LVBaToC&pg=PA105&lpg=PA105&dq=world%27s+most+popular+team+sport&source=web&ots=ehee9Lr9o1&sig=nyvDhcrPoR8lXhYKE7k4CZYg_qU#PPA103,M1
FIFA Survey: Approximately 250 million footballers worldwide. (2006). Retrieved
December 4, 2011, from http://web.archive.org/web/20060915133001/http://access.fifa.com/infoplus/IP-199_01E_big-count.pdf
Gregory, P. (2005) How Women’s Football Battled for Survival. BBC Sport (BBC).
Retrieved December 4, 2011, from
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/women.4607171.stm
Jackson, O. (2010). The New Trend for Women: Football? Retrieved December 5, 2011
from http://voices.yahoo.com/the-trend-women-football-7069278.html
Oxford Student’s Dictionary (2nd ed). (2011). Shah Alam, Selangor: Oxford Fajar.
Toback, S. (2011). 2011 Women’s World Cup: 7 Reasons Why Soccer Will Never Matter in
the U. S. Retrieved February 2, 2012 from http://bleacherreport.com/articles/770480- 2011-womens-world-cup-7-reasons-why-soccer-will-never-matter-in-the-us/page/6
Target Audience. (2005). Retrieved December 5, 2011 from http://sponsorlinktv/targetaudience.php
2002 FIFA World Cup TV Coverage. (2006). FIFA. Retrieved December 4, 2011 from
http://web.archive.org/web/20061230124633/http://www.fifa.com/en/marketing/newmedia/index/0,3509,10,00.html
APPENDICES
Questionnaire
on the Interest of Football among Students
Please circle in the relevant answer.
1. Gender: Male Female
2. Course: Electronic system Mechanical Precision
3. Race: Malay Chinese Indian Others: ____________
4. Who do you think is more
interested in football? Male Female
5. Are you interested in football?
Yes (proceed to Question 6) No (Proceed to Part
C)
6. Since when have you been interested in football?
< 10 years old
> 10 years old
7. While you are watching football, do you watch the:
First-half only Second-half only entire game
8. Buying a football ticket to watch live at a stadium is:
Worth it A waste
of money
{Note: If
you are interested, please proceed to Part B. If you are not, proceed to PART C}
Part B –
For those INTERESTED
9. Why do you like to watch a football game?
To fill my pastime Influence from my peers
Just to follow with the trend flow To show support towards my favorite team
Others: _________________________________
10. I prefer to watch football live: on TV at the stadium
11. With whom do you watch the match? Family Friends Alone
12. Which football team do you support? Local International
13. Does being interested in
football influence you to travel? Yes No
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15. Do you follow the latest football updates? Yes No No
16. Does being interested in
football lead to you to become a football fanatic?
Yes, I love football very much!
No, I’m just interested in it,
not to the extent of being a football fanatic
17. What are the advantages of being interested in football?
Sharpen the thinking skills Enhance unity among
people
Widen the knowledge about sports Encourage self to involve in a healthy life
Others:
________________________________________
Part C –
For those who are NOT INTERESTED
18. Why are you not interested in football?
I am sick of football The team I support often loses
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Others:
_____________________________________
19. If someone asks you to accompany him/her to watch a football game despite of your view, would you fulfill the request? Yes No
20. Why do you think that being interested in football can bring disadvantages?
Waste of time Provocation among fans can easily happen
Easily involve in an unhealthy lifestyle
The football crowd is too noisy that it
disturbs others
Others: ________________________________________________
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