پژوهشگاه تربیت بدنی و علوم ورزشی وزارت علوم ، تحقیقات و فناوری پژوهش در ورزش تربیتی 2538-2721 14 45 2026 12 22 Redefining Cultural Myths and Symbols: A Strategy for Developing Health-Oriented Sports for Women in Iran بازتعریف اسطوره‌ها و نمادهای فرهنگی: راهبردی برای توسعه ورزش سلامت­‌محور زنان در ایران 93 118 5033 10.22089/res.2026.18826.2721 FA شهلا رفیعی گروه تربیت بدنی و علوم ورزشی، واحد مبارکه، دانشگاه آزاد اسلامی، اصفهان، ایران. 0009-0005-2691-4876 الهام مشکل گشا گروه تربیت بدنی و علوم ورزشی، واحد مبارکه، دانشگاه آزاد اسلامی، اصفهان، ایران. 0000-0001-6907-8998 احمدرضا عسکری گروه تربیت بدنی و علوم ورزشی، واحد مبارکه، دانشگاه آزاد اسلامی، اصفهان، ایران. 0000-0002-5013-9196 Journal Article 2025 11 30 Extended AbstractBackground and PurposeToday, women, as one of the most active segments of society, require adequate facilities to maintain their physical and mental health, the realization of which necessitates their inclination towards sports participation. The manner of women's participation in sporting activities is a complex issue influenced by numerous factors. Empirical studies have shown that there are gender differences in the level or degree of barriers to leisure-time physical activity. Understanding which sports activities women choose in their leisure time requires an examination of all factors that influence these choices, whether positively (motivation, anticipated benefits) or negatively (barriers).Investigating the "cultural myths, metaphors, and symbols related to women's health-oriented sports" is of fundamental and strategic importance from various perspectives and has become a social and managerial necessity. Most existing research in the domain of women's sports focuses on objective and quantitative barriers such as a lack of space, facilities, and funding. This study, however, by examining the hidden, cultural layers, addresses the root of the problem more profoundly. Myths and metaphors are the "software" of a society's culture, which directs its "hardware" (structures). Until this software is rewritten, investment in the hardware will not yield the desired results.Instead of proposing temporary solutions (such as building a few sports halls), this research seeks a "paradigm shift" and a "redefinition of the discourse." The main research question is: "What are the dominant and inhibiting cultural myths, metaphors, and symbols in the realm of health-oriented sports for women in Iran, and how can the strategic redefinition of these semantic frameworks contribute to the sustainable development of this field?"MethodsThis research is applied in terms of purpose and qualitative in terms of implementation method. In this study, the Causal Layered Analysis (CLA) approach was utilized. This method attempts to achieve a deeper understanding of a social issue by deconstructing its different levels and provides the ground for more effective intervention and more comprehensive policy-making.The participants in this research were specialists and experts from various fields such as sports sciences, sports sociology, sports psychology, nutrition, policy-making in the field of women's sports, and media. Finally, 21 individuals were selected through purposeful sampling and the snowball method, based on reaching theoretical saturation. The analysis process in this research was implemented as follows: Data collection was conducted through in-person semi-structured interviews with experts in the field of women's and health-oriented sports until theoretical saturation was achieved. Full implementation of the interviews and preparation of their written transcripts, then initial coding of the data to extract basic and common themes, classification of themes in the four layers of CLA based on semantic content. Analysis and interpretation of the findings with the aim of identifying hidden factors, dominant thought systems, and fundamental metaphors. Validation of the analyses was performed through review of the results by participants, a second coder, and three independent judges.Results Data were collected through 21 semi-structured interviews with experts in the fields of sports science, sociology, psychology, nutrition, policy-making, and media, and were analyzed using thematic coding.At the myth/metaphor layer, the findings identified six main inhibiting myths: "The Weak and Incapable Woman," "Beauty-Thinness," "Motherhood and Housekeeping as the Sole Role of Women," "Sports are for Men," "Women's Sports are Unimportant," and "The Female Athlete Lacks Femininity." In contrast, strategies for redefining and reconstructing these myths were formed around five main axes: promoting the myth of the "Strong, Healthy, and Empowered Woman"; redefining the "Beauty" myth with a focus on health and body diversity; introducing successful and diverse sporting role models; utilizing the capacities of literature, art, and history; and institutionalizing the myth of "Sports for All."Accordingly, it can be concluded that cultural myths, not only as structural barriers but also as meaning-making frameworks, profoundly influence women's participation in health-oriented sports. Any strategic planning for the development of this field requires "cultural engineering," wherein redefining these myths and creating new, empowering narratives of the female athlete, alongside structural actions, must be prioritized. This discourse change is a prerequisite for realizing health-oriented sports as a social right and a strategic investment for the health and dynamism of the family foundation and the future generation.ConclusionThis study, moving beyond purely structural and quantitative analyses, delved into the hidden and profound cultural layers affecting women's health-oriented sports. It demonstrated how myths and metaphors can shape our understanding of women's sports. The findings clearly revealed that myths and metaphors deeply rooted in the sociocultural context—including the image of the "Weak and Incapable Woman," the link between "Beauty and Extreme Thinness," and the reduction of a woman's role to "Motherhood and Housekeeping"—not only function as ideological barriers but also shape women's identity, motivation, and sporting behavior at the micro, meso, and macro levels. These semantic frameworks place women in a perpetual identity paradox: choosing between being a 'woman' according to traditional definitions or being an 'athlete' according to modern values of health and empowerment. This finding aligns with the results of Javani et al. (2022), Mohammadi et al. (2022), and Zokaei & Sedighi (2015).At the meso level, these myths are reproduced in the form of stereotypes such as "sports are incompatible with feminine grace" or "the female athlete lacks attractiveness" within the family, media, and social sphere, effectively restricting women's access to the field of sports. These established discourses sometimes steer women toward health-compromising behaviors, such as dangerous diets, consumption of unauthorized supplements, and cosmetic surgeries, merely to conform to unrealistic ideals.However, the findings do not stop at identifying barriers; they point the way forward through the "strategic redefinition of cultural narratives." This conclusion is consistent with the results of Nazari et al. (2025), Pashaei et al. (2025), Mohammadi et al. (2022), and Zokaei &Sedighi (2015). Promoting alternative myths such as the "Strong, Healthy, and Empowered Woman," introducing successful local sporting role models, and leveraging the rich capacities of Iranian literature, history, and art to create new images of the Iranian woman form the core of an effective cultural strategy. In this new paradigm, health-oriented sports is not a peripheral activity but a "social right" and a "strategic investment" for enhancing human capital, reducing healthcare costs, and realizing a dynamic society.Macro StrategiesThe development of health-oriented sports for women depends on a three-dimensional resolve:Cultural-Promotional Measures: Changing the public discourse through media, the educational system, and cultural institutions to redefine the meaning of "beauty," "strength," and "femininity."Structural-Governance Measures: Allocating equitable budgets, creating secure and accessible infrastructure, and incorporating women's sports indicators into national development documents.Empowerment-Social Measures: Strengthening social capital and support networks for female athletes, and providing education in leadership skills and conscious body management.Attitude change, funding, structural reform, and leveraging technology are the four main pillars for empowering women through sports. Without these pillars, the development of women's sports will not move beyond mere slogans. Without this comprehensive and strategic perspective, any material investment in women's sports will fail to yield the desired and sustainable outcome. The future of health-oriented sports for women in Iran hinges on our ability to craft "new narratives" and transform sports from a "problematic area" into a "strategic opportunity" for national development.Practical RecommendationsUtilizing successful domestic and international female sporting role models to create motivation and shift public mindset.Educating families and schools on the importance of sports for women's health and development, and on skills for an active life and body management.Establishing a "Cultural-Media Committee for Women's Sports": This committee would be responsible for producing and monitoring media content, introducing successful role models, and countering gender stereotypes in advertisements and sports programs.Article MessageIn some families and communities, traditional attitudes and gender stereotypes lead to women's participation in sports being considered unnecessary, inappropriate, or even incompatible with traditional female roles (such as housekeeping and childcare). These attitudes prevent women from entering the realm of sports and regular physical activity. Ethical ConsiderationsAll ethical rights and guidelines have been meticulously observed in the present article in a scientific and systematic manner.Authors’ ContributionsContribution of each author in conducting the research: As this article is derived from the first author's doctoral dissertation, all authors contributed effectively to the ideation, design, data collection, analysis of results, and writing of the article. All authors read and approved the final version of the manuscript.Conflict of InterestThe authors declare no conflict of interest regarding the publication of this article.Acknowledgments The authors would like to express their sincere gratitude to all the participants who took part in this research. ورزش سلامت‌محور زنان، به‌عنوان یکی از ارکان اساسی توسعه پایدار در جوامع، فراتر از فعالیت بدنی صرف، پدیده‌ای فرهنگی-اجتماعی است. این پژوهش با هدف واکاوی اسطوره‌ها، استعاره‌ها و نمادهای فرهنگی بازدارنده و پیش‌برنده ورزش سلامت‌محور زنان و ارائه راهبردهایی برای بازتعریف این چارچوب‌های معنایی انجام شد. روش‌شناسی این پژوهش کیفی، با رویکرد «تحلیل لایه‌ای علّی» صورت گرفت. داده‌ها از طریق 21 مصاحبه نیمه‌ساختاریافته با خبرگان حوزه‌های علوم ورزشی، جامعه‌شناسی، روان‌شناسی، تغذیه، سیاست‌گذاری و رسانه گردآوری و با روش کدگذاری موضوعی تحلیل شد. یافته‌ها در لایه اسطوره/استعاره، شش اسطوره بازدارنده اصلی را شناسایی کرد: «زن ضعیف و ناتوان»، «زیبایی=لاغری»، «مادری و خانه‌داری به­عنوان تنها نقش زن»، «ورزش مخصوص مردان است»، «ورزش زنان بی‌اهمیت است» و «زن ورزشکار فاقد زنانگی است». درمقابل، راهبردهای بازتعریف و بازسازی اسطوره‌ها حول پنج محور اصلی شکل گرفت: ترویج اسطوره «زن قوی، سالم و توانمند»، بازتعریف اسطوره «زیبایی» با محوریت سلامت و تنوع اندام، معرفی الگوهای ورزشی موفق و متنوع، بهره‌گیری از ظرفیت‌های ادبی، هنری و تاریخی و نیز نهادینه کردن اسطوره «ورزش برای همه»؛ بر این اساس می­توان نتیجه گرفت که اسطوره‌های فرهنگی، نه­تنها به‌عنوان موانعی ساختاری، بلکه به‌عنوان چارچوب‌های معناساز، مشارکت زنان در ورزش سلامت‌محور را عمیقاً تحت‌تأثیر قرار می‌دهند. هرگونه برنامه‌ریزی راهبردی برای توسعه این حوزه، نیازمند «مهندسی فرهنگی» است که در آن، بازتعریف این اسطوره‌ها و خلق روایت‌های جدید و توانمندساز از زن ورزشکار، در کنار اقدامات ساختاری، در دستور کار قرار گیرد. این تغییر گفتمان، پیش‌نیاز تحقق ورزش سلامت‌محور به‌مثابه حق اجتماعی و سرمایه‌گذاری راهبردی برای سلامت و پویایی پایه­ های خانواده و نسل آینده است. https://res.ssrc.ac.ir/article_5033_91c77393975889bd08f301c9e13a44b7.pdf