Date of Award
5-2016
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Arts (MA)
Legacy Department
Communication, Technology, and Society
Committee Member
Dr. Darren Linvill, Committee Chair
Committee Member
Dr. Jimmy Sanderson
Committee Member
Dr. Erin Ash
Abstract
Previous research has shown that Twitter has become a place where cultural discussions can occur and that Twitter has the potential to undermine hierarchies of authority and power by affording a voice to those who are not heard in the mainstream media. Becky Hammon's hiring as the first full-time female assistant coach in the NBA provided a rich opportunity to utilize Twitter as a way to study perceptions of Hammon throughout her first year on the NBA sidelines and specifically, as a way to hear both mainstream and marginalized voices. Radian6 was used to collect tweets mentioning "Becky Hammon" throughout her first year in the NBA and the data was analyzed utilizing a thematic analysis. The results suggested that while many sports fans and individuals on Twitter were supportive and encouraging of Hammon as an NBA coach, resistance to women to coaching men was prevalent and fueled by a reliance on traditional gender roles and stereotypes. Furthermore, this research displayed how Twitter is an important space for both cultural conversations and dialogue but also has the ability to be a tool of change, advocacy and progress.
Recommended Citation
Gramlich, Kelly Frances, ""A Woman to Command Men": Becky Hammon's First Year as an Assistant in the NBA and Conversations about Sport Culture on Twitter" (2016). All Theses. 2386.
https://open.clemson.edu/all_theses/2386