Award Date
5-1-2025
Degree Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Department
Sociology
First Committee Member
Michael Borer
Second Committee Member
Robert Futrell
Third Committee Member
Christie Batson
Fourth Committee Member
Benjamin Burroughs
Number of Pages
223
Abstract
This dissertation examines the experiences of female fans of the Vegas Golden Knights (VGK), emphasizing how they construct their identities, navigate gendered expectations, and engage with fan communities. As a National Hockey League (NHL) expansion team in a non-traditional hockey market, the VGK offers a unique opportunity to understand how sports fandom develops and fosters collective identity in a newly emerging market. This qualitative, multi-method approach includes ethnographic participant observations, semi-structured interviews, and netnographic analysis of online fan communities. The findings of this research reveal that female fans actively challenge gendered stereotypes and resist the “puck bunny” label, asserting their legitimacy within a traditionally masculine sports culture. Digital spaces provide a supportive environment for women to establish authority and reshape dominant narratives about female sports fandom. By examining the intersections of gender, sports, and cultural identity, this research contributes to broader discussions in cultural sociology, gender studies, and the sociology of sport. The findings highlight that female fans are not passive spectators but active participants in shaping sports culture, community identity, and the evolving landscape of hockey fandom.
Keywords
Ethnography; Fandom; Female Fans; Gender Studies; Sports
Disciplines
Sociology
File Format
File Size
8700 KB
Degree Grantor
University of Nevada, Las Vegas
Language
English
Repository Citation
Lighthiser, Dawn, "Vegas Reborn: An Ethnographic Exploration of Female Fans of The National Hockey League’s Vegas Golden Knights" (2025). UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones. 5301.
https://oasis.library.unlv.edu/thesesdissertations/5301
Rights
IN COPYRIGHT. For more information about this rights statement, please visit http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/