Structural dynamics of whistleblowing on doping in sport: Empirical findings of a qualitative mixed methods approach

Abstract

While anti-doping organisations, state authorities and investigative journalists increasingly rely on information from whistleblowers, little is known about the social conditions influencing athletes’, coaches’ and other insiders’ decision to blow the whistle on doping. To address characteristic shortcomings and blind spots of previous research, we introduce theoretical considerations and the qualitative mixed methods approach of a sociological research project (WBS study) specifically designed to observe actual whistleblowing, adopting an amoral perspective and identifying the social conditions of the decision-making process. In the main section, we present findings on structural dynamics underlying the decision to report doping, focusing on four key analytical levels: public, organisation, team/group and intimacy. Our results demonstrate that whistleblowers do not act autonomously or heroically; rather, they are driven by the dissolution of the spiral of silence and broken image effects in the public discourse; organised hypocrisy and the abolition of the back stage in dealing with convicted dopers; changing group affiliation, an asymmetry of dark secrets and escalating conflicts in deviant groups; love as a catalyst and the reversing of intimacy in intimate relationships of dopers. The observed dynamics help to identify sensitive phases marked by an increased willingness to report doping and are thus highly relevant for anti-doping policy.