The Circuit of Concussion Knowledge in Youth Sport: Regulating Guidelines and Athlete and Maternal Framing Experiences

This thesis shifts the lens of analysis concerning sport-related concussion (SRC) knowledge in youth sport from traditional knowledge translation research based in behavioral psychology, to a theoretically grounded, cultural studies approach. The research explores a discourse analysis of the 2016 Consensus Statement on Concussion in Sport (McCrory et al., 2017) and a thematic analysis of interview data collected with youth athletes and mothers of youth athletes. The circuit of SRC knowledge framework is explored in relation to the complex social processes that influence the construction of knowledge. These constructs are investigated through the following moments: production (e.g., scientific knowledge), distribution (through media, educational efforts, and assessment tools), consumption (across audiences), reproduction (through the individual’s experience or institutional application), regulation (e.g., media censoring or audience regulation), and identity (e.g., gendered identity or athletic affiliation) The results provide important insight into the state of SRC knowledge in the youth sport setting.