THE INTERNATIONAL LANGUAGE OF METAPHORS: A CASE STUDY OF HIGHER EDUCATION STUDENTS IN SPORT AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY IN ECUADOR AND SPAIN

Abstract

M Alejandra Ávalos-Ramos, M Ángeles Martínez-Ruíz, Jenny Martínez Benítez, Gladys Merma-Molina

International organisations have warned that, because of large gender differences in sport and physical activity (SPA), girls and women miss the opportunity to enjoy the recognised health benefits of sport and career opportunities in this field. The aim of the study is to analyse women and men's personal perceptions of SPA and the meaning they give to it in their lives. This qualitative and comparative study uses a metaphorical approach. It compares and analyses the metaphorical devices used by students of Physical Activity Sciences at a Spanish university and a university in Ecuador. A total of 200 students participated in the study (n=110 men; n=90 women). The AQUAD software was used to process the data. The results show that both women and men perceived SPA as a need and a source of emotional health. No differences were found to support the premise that women are not predisposed to a sporting life. Rather, context was identified as the cause of the most significant differences in the perception of in the personal lives of both male and female students.