Dr. Yiqi Yang, PhD
Contact
Assistant Teaching Professor and Teaching Support, Faculty of Kinesiology, Sport, and Recreation - Communications & International Relations
- yiqi26@ualberta.ca
Overview
Area of Study / Keywords
Sports and Tourism Marketing Leisure Sports Participation Cross-cultural Marketing Inclusion Policy Enactment
About
My academic journey has always been shaped by movement between different cultures, sport systems, and marketing environments. I completed my master’s and Ph.D. in Sport Management at the University of Ottawa, where I developed a strong interest in how people experience, participate, and sustain leisure sport participation. My research focuses on consumer behaviour, leisure constraints, negotiation, and inclusive sport environments, with current work expanding toward disability inclusion and policy practice in community sport. I am currently an Assistant Teaching Professor at the University of Alberta, where I teach in the University of Alberta–Beijing Sport University international joint program. In this role, I bring together sport management knowledge, cross-cultural experience, and an applied teaching approach to support students preparing for careers in sport, recreation, and international sport industries.
Research
Grounded in leisure constraints and negotiation theory, my work examines how intrapersonal, interpersonal, and structural factors shape participation patterns across different cultural and market contexts. Building on this core research agenda, I am increasingly interested in extending these frameworks to examine participation experiences among marginalized and minority populations, including immigrants and people with disabilities. Specifically, I explore how organizational practices, service environments, and policy contexts influence access, inclusion, and sustained participation in leisure sport.
Teaching
I have extensive teaching experience in sport management and marketing, sociology of sport at both introductory and advanced levels, adaptive physical activity, and recreation studies within both Canadian and international contexts. My teaching background aligns well with interdisciplinary sport business education by integrating management theory, consumer behaviour, policy, and contemporary industry issues into applied learning environments. I emphasize active student engagement, inclusive classrooms, and the practical application of theory to real-world challenges in the sport, recreation, and tourism markets.
Courses
KRLS 104 - Introduction to Sociology of Sport and Leisure in Canadian Society
This course brings a sociological imagination to the study of sport and leisure with particular reference to Canadian society. Note: Credit will be granted for only one of KRLS 104 or PERLS 104.
KRLS 207 - Adapted Physical Activity and Leisure for Diverse Populations
An introduction to research, theory and practice pertaining to participation in physical activity and leisure by persons with impairments. The course explores the intersection of social influences and personal interests on participation in active lifestyles. Credit will be granted for only one of KRLS 207 or PERLS 207.
KRLS 451 - Cultural Studies of Sport and Leisure
An advanced seminar course that critically and collaboratively examines select sport and leisure practices through popular and contemporary examples, using a cultural studies framework. Prerequisite: KRLS 304, or consent of the instructor. Credit will be granted for only one of KRLS 451 or PERLS 351.
RLS 422 - Leadership in Recreation and Leisure Organizations
An examination of various leadership styles and how these styles can be applied in the context of recreation and leisure organizations. Students will identify their personal leadership style and work on an applied community-based group project where their leadership skills will be put into practice (e.g. oral and written communication, management of group dynamics, conflict management, and organizational ethics and politics). Note: Credit will be granted for only one of RLS 122 or RLS 422.
Featured Publications
Yiqi Yang, Eric MacIntosh
Managing Sport and Leisure. 2025 October; 10.1080/23750472.2025.2561978
Yiqi Yang, Eric Macintosh, Xiaoyan Xing
International Journal of Sports Marketing and Sponsorship. 2024 August; 10.1108/IJSMS-10-2023-0218
Yiqi Yang, Erika Gray, Keita Kinoshita, Eric MacIntosh
Journal of Intercollegiate Sport. 2024 February; 10.17161/jis.v17i1.19739
View additional publications