Representation Of The Body Is A Physical Tool

While participation of women in sports has increased, the media representation of women in sports remains problematic. Even the most talented elite female athletes like Michelle Kwan and Monica Seles are portrayed in a sexual fashion, as a way of deemphasizing their athleticism and neutralizing any possible threat they might seem to pose to male viewers. Very few male athletes are portrayed in such an objectified manner; they are portrayed as competitors first and foremost, not as personalities. Also, the media coverage of athletes is disproportionately focused on male athletes. The coverage of female athletes tends to stress individualized female sports where women can be sexualized like tennis and figure skating, versus competitive team sports like basketball and soccer.

It is something you notice everyday, in many forms of media. Commercials, ads, magazines, and the internet all depict this occurrence with female athletes. She is short haired, square framed, dressed in a large loose fitting clothing. She rides along on her skateboard at an empty skate park. She appears to be sweaty and dusty from a day of riding and falling. As she rides along, ahead of her is a ledge. Red faced and tired, she attempts to land a trick over the ledge and succeeds. Her name is Lacey Baker, and is said to be one of the best female skaters in the world. Sound familiar? No, she is not someone the general public would be exposed to day by day. She does not fit into the female athlete stereotype of "The Femininity Game". "The Femininity Game" as told to us by Mariah Burton Nelson, an author, expert speaker, and former professional athlete in her "I Won, I 'm Sorry" piece demonstrates how as female athletes will feel they must follow special role. She noted, "Like men, you 'll have to be smart and industrious, but in addition you 'll have to be like women" (575). Women are to be just as competitive as men but not to the extent to threaten their masculinity. Act lady-like and motherly with no hesitation. Many Female athletes have shown off their hard work though photographs posing in awkward positions or even nude. Caroline Wozniacki the No. 5 female tennis player in the world, and MMA champion Ronda Rouse who posed for the swimsuit issue of Sports Illustrated are

However, women’s sport has always been criticized for not being considered an actual sport, but rather a softer version of a man’s sport. As a result, women who were very successful were questioned in regards of their true sex. Santhi Soundarajan was a female competitor in the 2006 Asian Games for the 800-meter race. Soundarajan was successful as she received a silver medal for her efforts, however, she was highly disturbed by the “sex testing” which she was required to go through prior to participating in the Olympic Games (Schultz, 2014). Eventually, it was determined that Soundarajan did not fit into the category of female as her testosterone levels were too high and the Olympic Association had taken away her medal. The idea that femininity is a direct link to being female is an imagined paradigm created by society to dominate women and the notion that women are allowed to compete as long as they appear feminine and act feminine is comical. The reason that this idea of femininity exists is because masculinity exists and if an individual is not feminine then they must be masculine. Therefore, sport is considered a masculine space and to be good at sport one must attain masculinity which can be demonstrated through speed, strength, bulging muscles, bravery, and is coupled with having high levels of testosterone. All of these characteristics are the opposite of the feminine embodiment which includes being poise, pretty, having a slender waist with wide hips, and low amounts of testosterone. Currently, the IAAF states that the amount of testosterone allowed within the blood to be able to compete as a female must be no more than 5 nanomoles per liter (Chiu, 2018). This is almost about half of what the pre-existing limit was before this announcement was made, the monumental discriminatory remarks directly affect women

Mary Louise Adams’ “The Manly History of a 'Girls' Sport': Gender, Class and the Development of Nineteenth-Century Figure Skating” is an article that sheds light on the role that gender played on figure skating throughout the nineteenth century. It centers on how male-dominated the activity of figure skating was throughout the nineteenth century—a stark contrast to the sport we know today, which is populated largely by women. Adams unearths the shift in the sport by examining the concept of masculinity in relation to the human body during this period, which shifted in terms of its values. Ultimately, she argues that the reason for the shift from male-dominated figure

Men and women who chose to engage in sports from which they would traditionally be discouraged because of their gender, particularly as professionals, redefine the sport. The social and cultural "costs" are not the result of the individual's participation, but rather the way in which sports have been socially, politically, and economically constructed. Gender is only one of the few ways in which people are categorized according to their proficiency for some athletic activities. Race and class are also factors which may prevent individuals from engaging in sports that have been traditionally excluded to them. Socially constructed notions of race, class, and sexuality compound the way in

Women’s flat track roller derby, as it is now known, stems from theatrical, violent and entertainment based roots. In its earliest incarnation it was more reminiscent of speed skating than the high intensity sport known seen around the world (English, 2014). However, within ten years of the most recent reincarnation, 450 new leagues had been created. As one of the fastest growing sports for females in America, The Women’s Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA) was created to act as a governing body in order to maintain order and unity in this rapidly growing field (WFTDA, 2014). Like most sports the growth of this leisure sport, brought about a shift in athletic ability. As the complexity of the rules developed and bouts became more competitive,

When a person of a specific gender enters a non-traditional sport for their gender/sex, many social and moral issues will arise challenging that person involved in that particular sport. The intentions of the individual will be questioned as well as their personal interest in the sport. Before any of these questions are asked, there must be a redefinition of gender roles, femininity, and masculinity. In order for a person to enter a non-traditional sport for their gender/sex without being criticize about gender morality, society must set flexible definitions for femininity and masculinity.

The sports world has been a new area where women are recognized. In previous times women’s sports were almost non-existent. In schools many girl teams did not receive adequate funds for uniforms and equipment. Boys sports were much more popular, such as football or basketball. If a girl wanted to play a guy sport she would be labeled as a

Over the course of time, sports have come to signify masculinity; athletics such as football and basketball easily having come to deem where one fits in terms of societal norms regarding gendered bodies. One could argue that sports, in a modern context, have come to be synonymous with the idea of athletic and/or muscular bodies, which are those that are not regarded as the bodies of ideologically feminine ones given the intense and high pressure nature. In “Sports and Male Domination: The Female Athlete as Contested Ideological Terrain” written by Michael A. Messner in 1988 sheds light on the idea that traditional images of femininity have come to solidify male privilege through the construction and naturalization of gendered characteristics regarding women such as weakness, fragility and dependency .

Women are empowered, encouraged and even pressured into being involved in a sport or some type of fitness activities today; however, it hasn’t always been that way (Cahn 278). In the 1920s, also known as the “golden age” of sports, women and young girls faced obstacles such as rejection, gender discrimination, and stereotypes when showing interest in sports or fitness activities. One famous author named Susan Cahn, wrote a book called Coming on Strong: Gender and Sexuality in Twentieth-Century Women’s Sports, and focuses on the decades between the 1920s and the 1960s. For most of the 19th century, females were accused of causing a great deal of danger to the moral and physical areas of masculinity. Through the research of multiple different aspects, such as media, appearance, and gender roles, Cahn puts together an idea and theme that athleticism is seen as a masculine trait because it was once constructed by society itself; which fortunately for the women, that idea can be changed. In the later centuries, Cahn writes about the progress of woman 's appearance in sports, however then describes the difference in respect, attention throughout media, opportunities and wages between men and women. Through both primary sources such as newspapers, interviews, and journals, as well as secondary sources like relevant literature, Cahn writes her book in a historical non-fiction genre. After reading Coming on Strong: Gender and Sexuality in Twentieth-Century Women’s Sports by Susan

This study reveals much about the attitudes that persist in society today regarding sport and gender. Early on, sport was created to serve men, evolving as a celebration of maleness, valuing strength, power, and competition. It idealized, promoted, and rewarded successful, elite athletes, established “the dream” as a professional career in sports, and viewed mass participation in sport as a tool to weed out the weak (Hill, 1993). In contrast, women’s sports originated to “address the expressed need for healthful exercise” (Huckaby, 1994). Unlike the competitive warrior mode

As women, we’ve come a long way in pushing past society’s judgements, or so I thought. Within the Olympic Games, women are still not seen as equals with our male competitors but rather criticized on body image rather than talent and dedication. In the past, women were seen strictly as a reproductive purpose in life, and although now we are seen as much more, our bodies still seem to hold the most priority over everything else we have to offer. Even in things like when a woman can lift twice the weight of her own body over her head, or break world records in swimming at the budding age of seventeen we seem to be

Dominant groups in society often set up normative ideas about bodies, genders and sexualities in order to preserve the societal hierarchy that greatly benefits them. White, cisgender, heterosexual males are often at the top of this hierarchy and are the active perpetrators of their imposed rigid standards. Categories are created by these dominant groups to exercise their control and those who do not fit or refuse to categorize themselves are punished, either metaphorically or literally. In the sports realm, these norms are ubiquitous. However, in this paper, I argue that sports can both uphold and challenge these normative ideas about bodies, genders, and sexualities through normalized practices it normalizes that are considered to be different from the outside world. Sex-tests and gender policies in sports competitions uphold the idea that there is a biological difference in genders and rigidly implement the gender-binary. On the other hand, the practice of contact sports and the use of locker rooms as a voyeuristic experience challenge normative ideas about bodies, genders and sexualities. These practices are standard in the sphere of sports a

There are many repercussions that are projected upon both men and women when they enter into a sport that typically isn’t thought of as gender appropriate. Some of those cultural and social stigmatisms may be abandonment by your peers, and friends questions regarding your sexuality, and even in some cases criticism as to how you are living your life. In some cases, it may lead to you not being accepted by either group, theone whose norems you are not following, of as well as the one with whom you are trying to get involved. This paper will address all of these issues and how these seemingly negative situations can, will, and are, leading to growth. It will also discuss how this is a situation where repercussions are

“You throw like a girl” this observable phenomenon is intended as an insult. But what does it mean to be “like a girl”? When did being a girl receive a negative connotation? Because people live in a sexist society, all girls are considered almost physically handicapped. Oftentimes guys believe that they are better at athletics based on the fact that they are males. Reasoning that someone is better at something based on gender, is sexist. Sports empower women giving them confidence and strength in the face of discrimination, sexism and objectification in society. This Paper will explain how girls around the world are beating sexism by beating superstition. Showing how women are empowering themselves through sports. By doing sports women gain freedom, power, strength, respect and dignity. Women athletics are defeating discrimination and closing the gap between men and women around the world.