Dr Vince Eade
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Email
veade@essex.ac.uk -
Telephone
+44 (0) 1206 873686
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Location
4.122, Colchester Campus
Profile
- Risk, Masculinities, Gender, Feminism, Schutzian Phenomenology, Social Theory, Using Mixed Methods in research.
Biography
Motorcycling, skiing, and horse riding carry a considerable risk to health, or even life, of those engaging in these recreational sport activities. Readiness to take risks has been customarily associated with the male gender. The actual gender composition of the participants in the above three risky sports activities differs considerably. While around 90 percent of leisure-time motorcyclists in the United Kingdom are indeed men, nearly 75 percent of horse riders are women. In comparison, skiing attracts a more balanced proportion, 57 to 43 percent of, respectively, men and women. Existing studies of injuries sustained by the participants in recreational sports activities have primarily focused on the how many aspect of the risks they involve, or on the numbers and frequency of accidents. The why aspect of it, or the question about the reasons British men and women engage in such sports has remained notably under-investigated. My research addressed a twofold why question regarding risky sport activities: why people do it and why a gender discrepancy exists in mens and womens preferences for the specific sports pursuits. My investigation used a mixed methodology, to address four research questions: 1. What factors influence the individuals interest/engagement in risky undertakings in general (e.g. family and peer culture/socialisation, social networks, media)? 2. What psychosocial factors influence the individuals choice of risky leisure sport activities such as motorcycling, skiing, and horse riding? 3. Why is there a gender disparity in the pursuits of recreational motorcycling, skiing, and horse riding? 4. What are the causes of this disparity? This research was funded by a +3 ESRC studentship.
Qualifications
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Ph.D Sociology University of Essex (2021)
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MA Sociology. Title of dissertation, Women and the Machine: A comparative analysis contrasting the portrayal of women in 2005 versus 2015 in the popular British motorcycle press. University of Essex (2016)
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BA (hons) Sociology first class. Recipient of the 2015 Fuller Bequest Undergraduate prize. Title of dissertation, Once a rider always a rider: Interpreting Motorcyclists Socialisation and Psychosocial needs for membership of a subculture of risk. University of Essex (2015)
Research and professional activities
Thesis
If youre a bit of a risk-taker you dont see the dangers: Exploring Gender Differences in Leisure Sport Risk-taking.
The popular leisure sports of skiing, horseriding and motorcycling carry considerable risks to health, or even life, to those engaging in these activities; consequently, they have been largely dominated by men whom our culture encourages to take risks. The risky leisure sports of skiing, horseriding and motorcycling have attracted little prior research attention from social scientists. Evidence suggesting that women dominate in the participation of statistically much riskier leisure horse ridin
Supervisor: Dr Carlos Gramegna Gigoux
Research interests
Risk, mental health and wellbeing
I find it problematic that In a modern Western society, which actively discourages personal risk, individuals seek out and engage in risky leisure pursuits. Furthermore, I find it particularly intriguing that the particularly risky leisure sport of horse riding is dominated by the female gender. In fact 74% of leisure horse riders are female. I am also interested in understanding why women in particular have suffered mental health issues through an inability to perform their sport due to the var
Gendered inequality in leisure sports
Masculinities
Social theory
Contact
veade@essex.ac.uk
+44 (0) 1206 873686
Location:
4.122, Colchester Campus
Working pattern:
Tuesday and Thursday afternoon. My academic support hour during term time is 2PM every Tuesday. Find me in 4.122