I have completed my Master and PhD studies at the University of Jyväskylä (Finland), majoring in Sport and Exercise Psychology, and I have a BSc in Psychology from the University of Central Lancashire (UK) and a BSc in Physical Education and Sport Sciences from the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (Greece). My research has focused on issues related to gender, sexuality, culture and identity in sport. I am interested in identifying and promoting practices which create more inclusive, ethical and safe sport cultures. I draw on qualitative and critical perspectives such as cultural praxis, feminist poststructuralist and queer theoretical theorizing, thematic and discourse analysis, and ethnography/autoethnography. I work on the intersections of cultural sport psychology, gender studies, sociology and social/discursive psychology, in an interdisciplinary manner.
The present study scrutinizes the role of societal culture in cases of sexual violence in Greek s... more The present study scrutinizes the role of societal culture in cases of sexual violence in Greek sport, as presented in the media after a two times Olympic medalist of Greece fired up the “‘me too’ Movement” in the country. Specifically, data for this study consisted of 36 media articles (14 international in the English language and 22 national in the Greek language), reporting multiple cases of sexual abuse and harassment in Greek sport and were published between January 2021 and January 2022. We drew on the cultural praxis heuristic to explore how the cultural setting operates as an underlying factor in priming athletes for harassment and abuse and in oppressing them into not speaking up. Our thematic analysis of media data revealed two overarching themes, namely, keeping the home intact and failed negotiations with power. Based on these findings, we discuss how subtle manifestations of patriarchy and collectivism perpetuate sexualized violence in Greek sport as they promote a clim...
... ever suspect and female par-ticipation in combat sports has increased recently (Hargreaves, 1... more ... ever suspect and female par-ticipation in combat sports has increased recently (Hargreaves, 1997; Macro, Viveiros, & Cipriano, 2009), research on ... research on competi-tive athletes, generated by our database search, is a paper by d'Arripe-Longueville, Fournier and Dubois ...
Kavoura Anna, 2009. An Imagery Intervention for Highly Skilled Judo Athletes. Department of Sport... more Kavoura Anna, 2009. An Imagery Intervention for Highly Skilled Judo Athletes. Department of Sport Sciences. University of Jyvaskyla. 69 p. Perhaps one of the most widely researched intervention strategies to date has been the use of mental imagery. Findings from several previous studies support the benefit of conducting interventions aimed at teaching athletes the importance of using imagery, and how to effectively incorporate it into their regular training. However, research on imagery interventions with judo athletes is scarce. In addition, very few studies have focused on describing the learning process of the athletes during imagery interventions. The main purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of an imagery intervention on highly skilled judo athletes` subsequent use of imagery and imagery ability. The intervention aimed at increasing the overall imagery ability and imagery use of the athletes, as well as to change their attitudes towards imagery training. In addit...
... ever suspect and female par-ticipation in combat sports has increased recently (Hargreaves, 1... more ... ever suspect and female par-ticipation in combat sports has increased recently (Hargreaves, 1997; Macro, Viveiros, & Cipriano, 2009), research on ... research on competi-tive athletes, generated by our database search, is a paper by d'Arripe-Longueville, Fournier and Dubois ...
In this article, we problematize sport psychology research on martial artists and offer some sugg... more In this article, we problematize sport psychology research on martial artists and offer some suggestions for advancing our knowledge in this area of research and practice. First, we review the previous research in the field. Then we introduce “cultural praxis” as a theoretical framework that will guide our analysis. Finally, we engage sociological studies of female fighters in conjunction with the adopted theoretical lens to outline the limitations of sport psychological research with regards to the experiences of women. It seems that the majority of the studies have used the male athlete as the norm, while research on the female athlete remains limited and focused on “differences”. Focusing persistently on gender differences, without drawing at all on gender theory reflects a gender bias, which seems to be engrained in sport psychology studies. Recent sociological studies have shed some light on the experiences of female martial artists, but have paid scant attention to the constan...
This study focuses on transgender experiences in martial arts. Interviews with three Finnish and ... more This study focuses on transgender experiences in martial arts. Interviews with three Finnish and two British transgender martial artists were thematically analyzed, and findings were interpreted through the lens of queer theory. Two themes were identified related to the ways that transgender martial artists experience their sporting contexts, namely martial arts as an empowering and inclusive context and the challenges related to being transgender in martial arts. Two themes were also identified when it comes to participants’ strategies for coping with cis-/heteronormativity in martial arts. Whenever possible, participants employed social change strategies, whereas other times, they drew on self-care strategies. Following this, we suggest a need for context-specific, protective policies; nonbinary means of organizing sport; and gender diversity education for instructors to better cater for the specific needs of transgender people in sport.
The present study scrutinizes the role of societal culture in cases of sexual violence in Greek s... more The present study scrutinizes the role of societal culture in cases of sexual violence in Greek sport, as presented in the media after a two times Olympic medalist of Greece fired up the “‘me too’ Movement” in the country. Specifically, data for this study consisted of 36 media articles (14 international in the English language and 22 national in the Greek language), reporting multiple cases of sexual abuse and harassment in Greek sport and were published between January 2021 and January 2022. We drew on the cultural praxis heuristic to explore how the cultural setting operates as an underlying factor in priming athletes for harassment and abuse and in oppressing them into not speaking up. Our thematic analysis of media data revealed two overarching themes, namely, keeping the home intact and failed negotiations with power. Based on these findings, we discuss how subtle manifestations of patriarchy and collectivism perpetuate sexualized violence in Greek sport as they promote a clim...
... ever suspect and female par-ticipation in combat sports has increased recently (Hargreaves, 1... more ... ever suspect and female par-ticipation in combat sports has increased recently (Hargreaves, 1997; Macro, Viveiros, & Cipriano, 2009), research on ... research on competi-tive athletes, generated by our database search, is a paper by d'Arripe-Longueville, Fournier and Dubois ...
Kavoura Anna, 2009. An Imagery Intervention for Highly Skilled Judo Athletes. Department of Sport... more Kavoura Anna, 2009. An Imagery Intervention for Highly Skilled Judo Athletes. Department of Sport Sciences. University of Jyvaskyla. 69 p. Perhaps one of the most widely researched intervention strategies to date has been the use of mental imagery. Findings from several previous studies support the benefit of conducting interventions aimed at teaching athletes the importance of using imagery, and how to effectively incorporate it into their regular training. However, research on imagery interventions with judo athletes is scarce. In addition, very few studies have focused on describing the learning process of the athletes during imagery interventions. The main purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of an imagery intervention on highly skilled judo athletes` subsequent use of imagery and imagery ability. The intervention aimed at increasing the overall imagery ability and imagery use of the athletes, as well as to change their attitudes towards imagery training. In addit...
... ever suspect and female par-ticipation in combat sports has increased recently (Hargreaves, 1... more ... ever suspect and female par-ticipation in combat sports has increased recently (Hargreaves, 1997; Macro, Viveiros, & Cipriano, 2009), research on ... research on competi-tive athletes, generated by our database search, is a paper by d'Arripe-Longueville, Fournier and Dubois ...
In this article, we problematize sport psychology research on martial artists and offer some sugg... more In this article, we problematize sport psychology research on martial artists and offer some suggestions for advancing our knowledge in this area of research and practice. First, we review the previous research in the field. Then we introduce “cultural praxis” as a theoretical framework that will guide our analysis. Finally, we engage sociological studies of female fighters in conjunction with the adopted theoretical lens to outline the limitations of sport psychological research with regards to the experiences of women. It seems that the majority of the studies have used the male athlete as the norm, while research on the female athlete remains limited and focused on “differences”. Focusing persistently on gender differences, without drawing at all on gender theory reflects a gender bias, which seems to be engrained in sport psychology studies. Recent sociological studies have shed some light on the experiences of female martial artists, but have paid scant attention to the constan...
This study focuses on transgender experiences in martial arts. Interviews with three Finnish and ... more This study focuses on transgender experiences in martial arts. Interviews with three Finnish and two British transgender martial artists were thematically analyzed, and findings were interpreted through the lens of queer theory. Two themes were identified related to the ways that transgender martial artists experience their sporting contexts, namely martial arts as an empowering and inclusive context and the challenges related to being transgender in martial arts. Two themes were also identified when it comes to participants’ strategies for coping with cis-/heteronormativity in martial arts. Whenever possible, participants employed social change strategies, whereas other times, they drew on self-care strategies. Following this, we suggest a need for context-specific, protective policies; nonbinary means of organizing sport; and gender diversity education for instructors to better cater for the specific needs of transgender people in sport.
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