Women's Studies
Meysam Noori Khanyourdi; Sakineh Lotfi Fard Shokarloo; Mir Hassan Seyyed Ameri; Kamilla Swart
Abstract
Urban branding is a critical component of urban development, as it contributes to economic growth, attracts tourism, and strengthens identity. However, Tehran’s cultural and social assets, particularly women’s participation in athletics, are underutilized as a result of inadequate policymaking, ...
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Urban branding is a critical component of urban development, as it contributes to economic growth, attracts tourism, and strengthens identity. However, Tehran’s cultural and social assets, particularly women’s participation in athletics, are underutilized as a result of inadequate policymaking, limited media coverage, and male-centric perspectives. This study examines the impact of women’s sports participation and its media representation on Tehran’s urban branding. The research is descriptive-survey in method and applied in purpose. Convenience sampling was employed to acquire a total of 342 valid questionnaires from female athletes, coaches, sports managers, and Tehran municipality officials. Standard Likert-scale questionnaires were employed to measure the variables, including urban identity, city image, competitiveness, women’s sports participation, and media coverage. The instruments’ reliability was affirmed by Cronbach’s alpha coefficients that exceeded 0.7, and their validity was verified by sports management experts. The data were analyzed using SPSS-25 and SmartPLS-3, with the bootstrap and Sobel tests being implemented. The results indicated that urban branding was significantly positively impacted by women’s sports participation (β = 0.42, p < 0.001), with media coverage functioning as a mediating factor that exacerbated this relationship (VAF = 15%). The significance of targeted media strategies, the development of sports infrastructure for women, and the creation of opportunities for their participation at various sporting levels to enhance the city brand and accomplish sustainable development is underscored by these findings.
