| In this dissertation, I explore the ways in which theories and concepts of face-to-face interaction and disclosure management can be used to understand the construction of privacy on an intercollegiate sport team. The purpose of this research was to examine how team members talked to each other about themselves, and how they managed the personal information shared. Erving Goffman's model of social order and his concepts of "face" and "supportive work" frame the analyses of this study. Through semi-structured interviews and direct observations of the members of an NCAA Division III women's basketball team, I discovered the team's rules and the development of their communication norms, which were particularly prominent during two unanticipated team meetings I refer to as "The Commitment Meeting" and "The Re-Commitment Meeting." The players' commitment to be a close-knit group who got along well and supported each other became a central defining characteristic of this team. Team members negotiated how to demonstrate their commitment to the team and to each other by performing supportive and remedial work through disclosure of personal information during these two meetings. Even under those specific circumstances, a player maintained some amount of autonomy by controlling the depth of her personal information that she shared. Furthermore, the team agreed not to share the information disclosed during these two meetings with others outside of the team. As a result, the players did not experience a loss of control over their personal information after they shared it with other team members at the meetings. However, towards the end of the season, the breaking of a team rule by several players challenged the team's harmony, especially when a player refused to conform to the disclosure and remedial expectations of the team. Additionally, I found that the symmetry and reciprocity of disclosure differed between player-to-player and player-to-coach interactions. |
