Breaking the Bias: A Multidisciplinary Approach to Addressing Gender-based Sports Stigmatization on Social Media

In the digital age, the rise of social media has significantly increased global users, with China showing a major surge. The pandemic accelerated the global golf population growth, especially among young golfers, who still face stigmatization in China due to golf's historical 'luxury' image. Understanding the motivations behind this stigmatization can offer valuable insights. This study uses grounded theory and data mining to analyze 22,354 comments from Xiaohongshu, a Gen Z and female-dominated Chinese social media platform. It constructs a novel stigmatization theory model, integrating psychology, media studies, and sociology to explore the cognitive-affection-behavior chain driving stigmatization. Our findings reveal that social media's anonymity, platform algorithms, and societal biases against both golf and Chinese women amplify individual stigmatization, transforming it into broader group and public stigmas. This research not only enriches the study of sports stigmatization but also offers practical strategies to combat it, particularly by promoting golf among Chinese youth and reshaping public perceptions.