Från arena till Instagram: En studie om självpresentation och genusnormer inom svensk fotboll

This study investigates football players' self presentation strategies on Instagram by comparing male and female athletes. With a focus on personal branding, the research aims to explore how these athletes construct their digital identities and how it reflects or challenges the current gender norms in football. A quantitative content analysis was conducted, analysing 408 Instagram posts from a total of 68 players in Sweden's top leagues, Allsvenskan and Damallsvenskan. Supported by Goffman's theory of self-presentation as well as theoretical sections on both personal branding and gender norms in sport, the study analyzed visual and textual content to identify how players chose to present themselves. The findings indicate meaningful differences, such as male players sharing more posts related to the sport, while female players share more personal and sponsored content. Visual differences, like clothing and level of activity in the photos, were also found. These results underscore the persistent influence of gender norms and their impact on athletes' digital navigation. However, significant similarities also emerged, implying that professional football players, male or female, follow a similar path of self presentation. These similarities, like posing and professionalism, suggest that gender norms in sport are being challenged and changed. The research contributes to the understanding of self-presentation in a digital environment and the role it plays in the evolution of gender norms in sport. The findings offer a novel contribution to the discourse on equality in Swedish football and a broader perspective of the discussion of gender in media.