Discrimination Against Women In Sports: It (Still) A Man's World

Through the movies viewed in this course this semester, we saw women who were able to play against men and still keep their femininity. Nothing is lost when playing sports not traditionally meant for a particular race or gender. Society must become more understanding when it comes to the sports different types of people play and hinder from stereotyping anyone when they participate and perform well in that sport.

Sports became the shape of American culture in the early 1900s. It was the face of masculinity and manliness. Sports were created to show off the strength and toughness in men, and according to past physical educators, women did not possess these traits. Therefore, it was frowned upon for females to participate in sporting activity. Critics of women justified these assumptions by providing false medical accusations as to why women should not participate in sports. Some critics believed that if women participated in sports, it would cause reproductive damage, as well as loss of sexual control (Cahn, 1994). Physical educators also concluded that if women participated in athletics they would promote “sexual licentiousness,” and “blur natural gender differences” (Cahn, 1994). It was also believed that girls were biologically weaker and contained unsteadiness because of the menstrual cycle. Therefore, women were encouraged to not participate in physical activity, especially when they were menstruating.

Over the past few years, intercollegiate athletic programs have grown at a rate that has raised concerns in many higher education institutions. One of the concerns is funding equity for male and female athletic programs. Since its establishment in 1972, Title IX has prohibited sex discrimination in educational programs that receive federal funds (Carpenter, 2000). In this paper, I analyze the establishment of Title IX and how it has impacted intercollegiate athletics.

The history of sports in America is a long and diverse one. This is especially the case for American women, whose journey for equal rights and opportunities throughout the 20th century has been mirrored in relm of athletics, due in large part to Title IX of the United States Education Ammendents Act of 1972.

Women’s participation in sports has changed over the centuries. In ancient times, men dominated societies. Women were viewed as the caretaker, a provider for life. Women who did participate were criticized and were thought of as threatening. In 18th century America, women were considered inferior to men because of the belief that women are the weaker sex. A woman’s purpose in life was to take care of the house, children, and husband. When they did want to participate in recreational sport, they need to be able to negotiate with men and with other women because societies did not make it easy for women to participate. For example, there was a

First of all, Sports shows many examples of discrimination in modern society. For example, women have less of an opportunity to play sports in college. The author states, "Nationwide, female college athletes

The growth of women’s sports has been shown by the creation of various professional sports leagues for women including the WNBA, and the LPGA. In addition, because of the change of equal representation in women’s sports, more female athletes have begun to participate in sports compared to those of the past. This is supported by a study done by the NCAA from 1970-2001, where female participation in athletics was shown to increase by 847% (O'Reilly ¬340). The large increase of female participation in athletics seems to be related to the rapid growth of many professional women’s sports leagues, and the increased coverage and representation of women athletes in the world of sports. In addition, women have started to completely change how they are viewed in the sports world by participating in male dominated sports. This shows how women have considerably changed how they are viewed in the sporting world, by challenging stereotypes against them. With the evolution of gender roles in our society, we have started to see women participate in certain sports that were at one time only associated with one gender. The definition of a female athlete has also changed. Women athletes today are not only seen in a feminine manner, but also as a more emotional and physically empowered individual that younger athletes can look up to. Looking into future, women’s sports look to

The world of sports highlights the problems that still exist for women as well as problems with modern sex stereotyping and generalizing. The expectations we hold for men and women are less clear in the realm of sport and the issue has been recently where to draw the line. Is there a line that can be drawn? By

Hope Solo, a former goalie on the US Women’s soccer team was named All-American by Parade magazine twice in high school, was one of the top goalies at the University of Washington, helped bring home a gold medal from the Olympics twice, and won the FIFA world cup, only to earn roughly half of what a US Men’s soccer player earns. Discrimination in sports and athletics is still an issue that women have to face in society. Historically, athletics were a male-dominated part of life, women in athletics aren’t treated the same as men. Gender discrimination in sports exists because of unequal media coverage, quality of equipment, and a significant wage gap between male and female pro athletes.

Play is a source of significant theoretical insights in anthropology and in other disciplines (Huizinga 1970; Turner 1982). Feminist research is explicitly directed towards identifying, understanding and changing social factors affecting women. ‘’Women’s participation in sports is a feminist issue deserving of research and theory development’’ Harrison and Fahy (2005:702). Many scholars in the study of sociology of sports use feminist theory to understand power and gender relations in the society (Coakley 2009:39). According to Smith [2010:98], issues of gender which are core to social life, have existed for a while in different locations making the concerns of masculinity and femininity essential. Critical feminist theorists have stressed

At an early age we begin separating males and females: we begin creating a mold of what each gender should be. Gender-specific roles begin even before a child is born. Girls are destined to have pink and purple rooms and boys blue with dinosaurs. Boys are encouraged to be independent and play rough, while girls are treated with delicacy. Toys promote gender difference; boys are expected to play with toys that stress independence and working, while girls are encouraged to play with toys that encourage dependency and embody "motherly" characteristics. Through sports, women are given an opportunity to break from the mold, but it is inarguable that a huge gender disparity remains in today 's society and it fully permeates the world of athletics. At early stages in development we begin to mold gender-specific

Initially, women have been and still are being discriminated against, and being assumed to be “delicate” and “unable to play sports.” This stigma is a big reason why men and women aren’t considered equal in the sports world. This stigma is an issue that everyone needs to be aware of because it is damaging to the society. Kristen Wilde, the author of “Women in Sport: Gender

Sports have been and continue to be a major part of the United States. According to the Open Access Journal of Sports Medicine, 45 million kids ages 8-15 play an organized sport each year. All sports have advanced throughout the years by technology, difficulty, and gender diversity. From the first Olympic games in 776 BC, to now, 2017, a lot has changed. The social aspect of sports has certainly developed over the years. In the 1800’s a woman could not take part in any male sport; it was simply unacceptable. A “man’s sport” would have been anything from football to baseball to hockey, including any physical activity. President and founder of the Olympic games, Pierrede Courbertin, stated his displeasure in 1910 that “if a woman wishes to pilot an airplane, no policeman has a right to stop her…but when it comes to public sports competitions, women’s participation should be absolutely prohibited” (Medium). Today we would be shocked to hear such a preposterous statement, but inequality and discrimination still exist today; however it shouldn’t.

In this paper I will discuss how women’s increased participation in sports has been productive in attempting to change the patriarchal status quo; and why some sill believe that things have not changed the status quo remains intact. I will also debate this difference in perception explaining my personal stance on the issue and why. Finally focusing on the impact this has on African Americans and other minorities.

The factors influencing women’s participation in sports are numerous (Byers et al 2012:148). These include a lack of facilities, time, interest, underfunding, and social hierarchy (Alexandris and Carroll 1997; Kidd 1996).