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International Review for the Sociology of Sport, Ahead of Print.
Within this article, we draw upon Kezar and Lester's three components of positionality theory to explore how multiple and overlapping aspects of esports leaders’ identities influence their experiences and perceptions of working within esports organisations. We present findings collected through interviews with 11 leaders from nine Scandinavian esports organisations. Our findings show that the experiences of the esports leaders are strongly gendered. For example, all four women informants reported experiences of discrimination and marginalisation, whilst none of the men informants described incidents of this nature. The positionality of the women influenced the varied nature and extent to which they experienced discrimination and marginalisation, as well as their experiences of agency to resist and transform these practices. Meanwhile, the positionalities of both women and men influenced their recognition of privilege and the value they placed on inclusion and diversity. Furthermore, the gendered experiences of individual leaders were influenced by the specific esports context within which they work, including wider issues of discrimination and marginalisation across the esports community. Overall, our findings demonstrate that future strategies to make esports more gender inclusive need to appreciate how positionality influences the power that individuals have to access and influence esports organisations.

International Review for the Sociology of Sport, Ahead of Print.
The purpose of this article is to introduce a holistic framework of power that can serve to examine constraining and enabling manifestations of power within international Sport for Development and Peace (SDP) partnerships. The article is grounded in the recognition that the international SDP sector is wrapped up in ‘post-colonial residue’ and brings to the fore issues and power and inequality based on the construction and maintenance of hegemonic power relations. The article calls for SDP scholars to challenge the nature of partnerships and practices within the sector between international partners from the global north and global south. To develop and advance the case for this novel theoretical framework for studying power in SDP, the article is organized into three parts. The first part highlights the critical literature from the SDP and international development sectors concerning the nature of power relations with a specific focus on critical debates concerning social hierarchies. The second part offers a theoretical proposition and a three-phase theoretical model drawing on the work of Giulianotti, Lukes and Coleman to argue that power within international SDP partnerships is not static but needs to be recognized as a complex interplay of actions and outcomes. Finally, the article highlights how and why the holistic theoretical framework may be useful for SDP scholars in analysing and challenging power relations in future empirical-based research.

International Review for the Sociology of Sport, Ahead of Print.
Rugby is considered by many to be the antithesis of femininity because, since its creation, it has been a way for men to prove their masculinity. For this reason, the trajectory of women who practice it can be permeated with prejudices. The aim of this article is to advance the conceptual understanding of gender prejudice, stereotypes and discrimination, through an evaluation of the sports trajectory of cis women rugby players in Brazil. Ten female athletes, who are current or former athletes of the Brazil women's rugby 7's national team, were interviewed. They identified gender prejudice in relation to: (1) playing a sport considered masculine in which women should not take part; (2) being considered not to be able to practice it; (3) having bodies which do not fit the requirements of the ideal female body; (4) playing a violent sport; (5) trying to highlight attributes of femininity in publicity and press coverage. We conclude that, in the sport of rugby in Brazil, women are treated unfairly, with unequal salaries and limited opportunities. Moreover, they suffer prejudice and social pressure where they need to constantly reaffirm their sexuality, their femininity and their technical competence to play rugby.

International Review for the Sociology of Sport, Ahead of Print.
Professional athletes increasingly use their popularity to speak out about political topics off and on the field. However, only few studies explore how audiences react to political speech in elite sports. Existing research has tended to focus on very few high-profile cases, usually in the United States, such as Colin Kaepernick's anthem protest. Going beyond single cases, this paper investigates factors that systematically influence public support for elite athletes’ political activism. We integrated a vignette experiment into a survey of the German population (N = 1002). Using multi-level regression models, we analyze how public support for athlete's political acts varies with political topics, the specific political action carried out as well as the local reference of the issue in question. Moreover, we also compare the level of public support for political actions between athletes and non-athlete celebrities. Findings indicate that support is subject to conditions: Athletes receive more support when their critique refers to political topics abroad (as opposed to domestic topics) and when non-disruptive actions are chosen, for example, expressions of opinion instead of boycotts. The specific message has the strongest influence on support: actions and statements that express a progressive political claim for stricter environmental protection receive more support compared to a rather conservative claim for border security. Findings add to the state of knowledge by showing which forms of political activism meet with broad acceptance and which are likely to polarize audiences.