Fangirl or Qualified Fan: Identity Construction of Female Chinese Soccer Fans

Research on sports fans has increased in line with Chinas ambition to become a leading sports nation. However, studies regarding female Chinese soccer fans are still insufficient. Based on semi-structured interviews with Chinese female soccer fans and cyber ethnography, findings suggest that apart from similar identity construction practices to male fans, female fans show typical motivations and behaviors in the establishment of fan identity. This is mainly about emphasis and display of emotions, which reflect traits of female gender roles. Because of the social expectation that women play an expressive role when female fans enter the soccer field, which is dominated by instrumentality and masculinity, they may face mild or severe rejection. As a result, their identity as soccer fans may also be threatened. The study concludes that female fans are able to construct their identity in unique ways and that their criteria for becoming qualified fans are influenced by internalized gender role norms.