Sex And Gender Identity In Sports

All women athletes worked extremely hard to get where they are now, but with gender inequality in sports their hard work will go to waste. Gender inequality is unlawful because of Title IX, a law that was passed in 1972, that banned gender discrimination in sports (Buzuvis and Newhall). Even though it is against the law, many colleges and sports associations still give unfair benefits to men’s sports, such as more opportunities, better fields, higher salaries, etc, and are not getting punished for it. There were many cases when the women’s team made many times more money than the men’s team, and received millions of dollars less (Walters). Though it is against the law, the main reason that women are being discriminated against is the

Men throughout history have been the dominant gender, from the times of hunting with stone weapons to the modern day metal and automated machines. Many negative connotations are thought of when comparing women to men like strength, but less so when comparing men to women. Is it the society’s view that women are weaker than men or is it a natural fact brought to light? In sports women experience many prejudices, but even so some sports are equal or even female dominant. However the sheer majority lie in the male dominated section leaving women feeling oppressed and as if they have unequal rights, and they mostly do. Some instances of women oppression or unequal rights in sport belong to the sponsorships they receive, the effect media plays on children and women and also the history of sport and of gender inequality itself. The physical make up of each gender also effects stereotyping and how people perceive each gender.

Sports have been apart of society since the beginning of written history. Sports have also been separated in genders for centuries due to the physical and mental uniqueness of both genders. People take pride in sports. In some families and to communities sports are imbedded in their social infrastructure; it is very important to their identities. Sports are very tradition based seasonal, rules, and even attire. This has made rituals in sports very easy to pass down from generation to generation. Even though times and society has changed rules, traditions, and conservative individuals have not. There is one particular case in the world of golf that illustrates this point perfectly.

Within sport, as throughout society, gender differences exist. The socially constructed phenomenon of gender dictates a dichotomous system whereby females are feminine and males are masculine. Focusing on females specifically, society determines the feminine traits and roles ascribed to this gender. Being domesticated, slender, passive and heterosexual are a part of the desirable appearance that society has formed surrounding femininity (Wolf, 1991). On the other side of the dichotomy is the masculine realm that sport plays into. Sport is fuelled by muscle, power and aggressiveness, which are behaviours and images associated to masculinity. Sport therefore, defies all existing female gender ideals. It would be assumed that females have no place within this institution due to the gender clash. However, female athletes do exist, and many are very successful. For this to work, sport has established and reinforced the social constructions of gender that exist in society. Female athletes are viewed as inferior and are pushed into gender appropriate sports. Furthermore, they are often labeled as masculine until they can prove otherwise, and so great attempts are made to reassert femininity. The stigma associated to being masculine or homosexual for female athletes is so great that many have become irrationally fearful of this label. The sexualisation of the female body and overt displays of heterosexuality are used in

A sport is an activity involving physical exertion and skill in which an individual or team competes against another or others for entertainment. Sports originated in early history as males only, and was often used to see which male was more dominant. In today’s society sports have a different meaning and is played by both genders, but still holds a mentality of superiority. In this essay, I will be arguing the Social Constructs of Masculinity in Sports in the language and the actions used when performing these activities through both genders and how some actions are acceptable for one gender and not for the other. Using Laurel Richardson’s article Gender Stereotyping in the English Language, and X: A Fabulous Child’s Story by Lois Gould. The article and story will help distinguish the use of words in our society and how they are incorporated in sport and how the actions of a person that does not fit the social standard faces repercussions for their actions.

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.

The purpose of this article is to share the findings of a study done on gender boundaries in sports media, relating specifically to two broadcasters. The article has a pretty good premise, however; the study was only done on 2 people from one network and there really wasn’t any statistical data to reference. The researcher basically identified the differences between the male and female researchers and how they present themselves on social media. The woman discussed more personal matters like fashion and non-sports related celebrities, while the male focused mainly on sports-related commentary and analysis. Their observation hinted that her presence in Sports media may have been tainted due to backlash from the audiences. This conclusion was

Girls and boys don't play on the same sports teams in the National leagues. There is not one boys and girls team. I think that girls should be able to play on sports teams with guys in the major leagues.

By turning women away from playing certain sports, we are influenced to believe that they are not as qualified to play, compared to men. (Creedon, 1994). Ironically, women on the field seem to have to act tougher than the men. If an

The sports industry is growing and with more and more minorities going the sports route in majoring in sport management, sport marketing, sport broadcast journalism, etc. there needs to be more positions filled by minorities. Frisby (2005) notes, With our focus on organizations and managerial activities, sport management scholars are well positioned to question how structures and practices related to policy development, marketing, the media and technology, accounting, human resource management, and so on perpetuate and contribute to the bad and ugly sides of sport. As mentioned people who go through sport programs are well over qualified to fill the position so there needs to be more research into why these positions aren’t filled by overqualified

It is now 2016 and sports play an enormous part in the U.S. culture. According to Youth Sports Statistics 36,000,000 kids aged 5-18 take play organized sports each year. Sports will continue to grow especially because of today’s advancements in technology. From the first Olympic games to 2016 a whole lot has changed in the world of sports. Not only has sports vastly changed but so have social norms around the United States. With that being said in the 1800s it was socially unacceptable for a woman to partake in a “mans sport.” A “mans sport” would be anything characterized from football, hockey, baseball, essentially anything involving vigorous physical activity. Nowadays many women are playing the prototypical “man sport,” however the discrimination against women still exists in manners that are less obvious. There are very few women’s leagues for a “man” sport. Although women’s leagues for a “man” sport do exist they are far less respected and are no where near as recognized as the men leagues. Women continue to be looked down upon whenever they show the interest in playing a man sport and this should never be the case. Women aren’t the only gender that is looked down upon, men also get this same treatment. Men are stereotyped as gay if they take part in a “woman” sport. Mostly all stereotypes around sports come from sexuality. Although the acceptance of athletes playing an untraditional sport

Sports are an important part of the culture of almost every nation. However, its use to promote gender equality and to help empower

"Is Sport Sexist? Six Sports Where Men & Women Are Still Set Apart." BBC Sport. N.p., 18 Sept. 2014. Web. 04 May 2016.

For example, as we saw in the film “Girl Fight,” one obvious problem with the girl attempting to train to box was the lack of resources for her. She could not share the locker room with the boys, and had to make do with a run-down storage closet instead. Another problem that is brought up when individuals participate in non-traditional sports for their sexes is about how the game is actually played. For example, if a female were to play ice hockey on a team of boys, would she be treated as an equal in the game? Would the boys be willing to hit and check her like they would do to the boys in the game? Or would they be extra hard on her and take advantage of the fact that she was playing in the game to try to score more goals? Achieving a level of total equality is a

People might still say that the segregation of genders in sports are making gender equality impossible, but the separation of genders in sports is not because one gender is better than the other. It is to ensure the fairness and equality. Women and men are naturally built differently and they both are both truly strong but in different ways. In order to keep sports fair, just and equal, the best thing to do is to keep sports separated by