I am currently in my third and final year at Leeds Metropolitan University studying Sport and Recreation Development. In order to complete my degree I have to write a dissertation on a topic of my choice that is relevant to the course.

One area covered that I found particularly interesting concerned gender and sport, unequal participation between the sexes in certain sports and primarily the reasons behind these gender inequalities.

I have a keen interest in rallying and currently hold a National A co drivers licence and am competing in the BTRDA championship in a group N Subaru Impreza. I have also applied for my MSA National B driver’s licence which I aim to have by the summer 2006.

From my own observations male rally drivers vastly out number the female drivers on the entry lists of the British rallying circuit. This observation appears to be echoed in the World Rally Championship. For my dissertation I would like to investigate the factors and perceived reasons behind the lack of female rally drivers on the British rallying circuit. I aim to achieve this through a number of semi-structured interviews gathered from a number of different perspectives. Namely;
 Why current women rally drivers think there aren’t more participating like themselves.
 Why male rally drivers believe there are so few women taking part.
 Why women who are involved or have a keen interest in motor sport are not rally driving.

I am asking you fellow scoobynetters for your help in my efforts on this piece of work and that perhaps you may post some offerings/ideas or thoughts on the subject. Any information provided by participants can be assured of complete anonymity.
cheers:thumb:

Following the thread just a few questionst perhaps get you thinking, any comments in relation to these questions or your own ideas welcomed and very much appreciated. And just to clarify this is a piece of pro-feminist research, and i am very much in favour of females taking part in motorsport, just keen to know why more are not.

Do you see the barriers affecting female participation are gender(social psychological) or sex (biological) related?


Why do you think sponsors and manufacturers don't make more of an effort to recruit women drivers?


what are your views on the statement "there are no physical barriers preventing women becoming rally drivers" and secondly "that the barriers preventing women widhing to take part are merely inflicted by themselves and psychological issues"?


if you had to guess at the most commonly offered reason for women not wishing to take up the sport what do you think it may be?

cheers

Julie ill give you a ring in the week to ask you some questions of your own personal thoughts, if thats ok, cheers

similarly if any body else wishes to offer their oppinions but not on this message board feel free to p/m me or email me at skiddy3@hotmail.com cheers

Cheers for your email Jess very informative. Thanks:thumb:

Damien,

Will e-mail you when i get back off the Astra Stages if that's ok..

Julie cant get onto scoobynet for sum reason at the moment, but I'll pass your message onto her..


Shelly.;)

Ye if you dont mind, that would be great thank you, i sent Julie an email earlier, as i didnt have yours with some questions on etc
Thanks again
Good luck at week end, enjoy:)
cheers
Damien

Thanks for your email Julie, much appreciated.
see you on the somerset.
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Damien,

Have just sent you an e-mail can you let me know if you have received it ok..

Shelly:thumb:

Yup just recieved cheers Shelly. Although cant open in at the min computers fighting with me in hotmail, ill try a different computer tomorrow, thank alot for the quick reply. cheers.
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