Abstract:
This research investigates issues of cultural diversity and inclusiveness in
women's netball in Australia using the rhetoric of exclusion. Women and
girls from culturally diverse backgrounds spoke of reinforced difference and
cultural assimilation in their netball experiences. Women born in other English-
speaking countries recalled feelings of inclusion and limited cultural
dissonance and indicated that netball helped them feel as part of their new
community and gain social capital via participation. Although experiences
of explicit exclusion or racial discrimination were virtually nonreported,
some women felt a strong sense of cultural conformity to Anglo-centric expectations
of behavior. The women's stories and experiences suggest that women
from culturally diverse bachgrounds have found new opportunities to express
their cultural distinctiveness through mainstream Australian sports such as
netball. The conclusion reached alter this examination is that the rhetoric of
exclusion is pervasive in Australian netball and unlikely to change in the
near future.
