Sex Tests And Gender Policies Essay

This activity functions as a reaffirmation of their heterosexuality and masculinity. Being able to push one’s body past its mental and physical limits is associated with stoic masculinity and has been compared to a utilitarian, well oiled machine (Cherney & Lindemann). Athletes use sport as an outlet for aggression and competitiveness. Therefore, this population is often stereotyped. However, certain populations challenge this norm through alternative activities. For example, quadriplegic rugby and wheelchair basketball utilize daredevil masculinity as a way of repairing men’s masculine identities (Cherney & Lindemann). In addition, the presence of potentially homoerotic actions can be found throughout sport, even though society denies its existence. In American football alone, men slap each other’s butts, violate personal space when tackling, and hug each other in celebration of victory (Cherney & Lindemann). On gameday, men celebrate the complicated nature of their masculinity, but outside of sport, they deny its

Almost a month ago, my boyfriend and I paid a visit to the Dalton Little Theatre in Dalton, Georgia for the first time. The company had performed Mama Don’t Fly, which was a comedy, and we were fairly impressed with the production. I receive emails regularly now from Dalton Little Theatre and I was notified that they were putting on a rendition of Robert Lois Stephenson’s The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. I was still buzzing from the delightful performance the cast had given during the last show that I decided to return and see what they could do with a more somber toned show. Everything at the theatre appeared to be the same as the initial visit and I also sat in the same seats. Nonetheless, my expectations were quickly exceeded by the skilled cast.

This was the Federal help that women’s sports needed to become a permanent fixture in the culture of America. In an article titled, “Why do sports fans support or oppose the inclusion of trans women in women’s sports? An empirical study of fairness and gender identity,” it delves into the historical progression of gender roles within sports, with a particular focus on masculinity and the influence on the women’s movement. It talks about different points throughout history where women have gained expanded, equal rights to men in sports. For example, it first talks about the early Olympics, which were dominated by males, and then moves on to touch on Title IX which gave women more recognition in sports.

According to Heather Skyes in her article “Transsexual and Transgender Policies in Sport”, the vast variety of genders that make up our society today including transsexuals and transgender are still not accepted into the world of sports due to anxieties from large sporting organizations. In our culture, there is a ‘binary structure’ which separates male from female. When a person is transsexual or transgender, the binary structure becomes challenged. There are so many exceptions to the binary structure, that it becomes nearly impossible to universalize “gender inclusive policies”. These individuals increase the ‘anxieties’ that Skyes suggests sporting organizations have, because transsexual and transgender people do not fit the norm.

2. I chose this test because I was interested in seeing what I thought about male/female roles.

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.

The repeated use of phrases like “you’re so gay” or “don’t be a fag” emphasized Hegemonic Masculinity in which those that reflect female “characteristics”, such as being “soft” or “bitchy” lose what Bascoe would call “social capital”. In Dude You're a Fag, the concept of “scoring” with a girl entails using a woman’s body “as proof of masculinity” (92). In the case of DYAF, the seemingly ridiculous banter between rugby-playing Reggie and his team detailing the prospects of sex with their homecoming dates and the ensuing game of one-upmanship over sexual experiences. On multiple occasions, I witnessed this behavior from both female and male athletes. However, the importance of the constant reminder that one is heterosexual is far more important as a male. While the female athletes I have observed have more or less regarded males as just fellow athletes, I saw behaviors that emphasized heterosexual behaviors even outside of encounters with females. On multiple occasions, I would observe a male athlete mentioning his struggles with the workload or admitting fatigue being met with accusations of being “gay”. While these behaviors have no certain connection with homosexual activity, the continued emphasis of compulsive heterosexuality ensures that a team as a whole is seen as “masculine” and intimidating in the eyes of

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.

Gender classification is a predominant topic within today’s sports and is most broadly understood through the portrayals of sports media. Through overt and covert ways, sports media has continued to promote a masculine representation of sports (Millington & Wilson, 2010; Messener, Duncan, & Jensen, 1993). By understanding the way in which sports media portrays sports, one can recognize how masculinity has dominated the world of sports. With the aid of two unique studies of sports media, this paper will critique the way in which media has effected the gendered depiction of sports.

How does one define gender? Is it in terms of sex or is a distinct term with separate qualities and qualifications? In the past century, sports have wrestled with these questions on how to qualify and quantify gender. By addressing these issues, whether intentional or not, the sports world has certainly broken down some barriers to transgender equality. Nevertheless, there is certainly more work to do to further progress transgender equality in sports and arguably it is the moral obligation of the sports world to pursue such equality. Ultimately, transgender people should have the right to pursue competitive careers that match their gender identity.

The answer is that gender cannot be completely determined by physical sex. This is especially true given that human bodies in general do not conform to only two sexes. People actually “fall along a continuum between female and male,” which means that sex cannot be the only dictator of gender identity (Disch 2006: 15). According to Judith Lorber, sex does not divide us; it is how society genders us, or interprets the role and function of one’s sex, that creates gender stratification, where one gender is placed above the other in the power structure (2006). The male drive to seek masculinity over femininity creates a patriarchal culture thriving on this “power over” attitude, as opposed to a “power to” ideal. This patriarchy defines roles in and ideas about sexuality and physical standards that the “weaker,” feminine gender has to follow (Johnson 2006). Michael Messner similarly finds that lower-class men see sports as the way to construct their masculine identities (2006), which also begs the question of why these men need to construct their masculinity if it has already been biologically determined.

In another research, Bryson (1987) found that sports have always been a construction of hegemonic masculinity. A sport such as football receives attention and is linked with masculinity where the use of force, violence or aggression can be seen. Women who attempt to do sport are merely challenging the hegemonic masculinity is already in place.

Homophobia is a “dislike or prejudice against homosexual people” (Oxford, 2016). Homophobia can cause homosexual people to be bullied and ridiculed for their sexual preference. Although there is less homophobia being reported everyday in the news, homophobia is in many aspects of the world, including sports. The aim of this report is to explain through a sociological perspective, how conformity in sports leads to homophobia. Three main areas of conformity that lead to homophobia in sports, normative conformity, informational conformity, and internalization.

Our world is extremely gendered, each person through their daily behaviors, thoughts and actions embody gender, which then unintentionally reinforces gendered conceptions in an ongoing loop in which culture influences gender and then gender influences our culture. Gender and its huge influence on our lives can be illustrated through an examination of bathrooms, sports and technology. Lorber (1993) uses sports and additionally technology to explain how society creates gendered bodies, reinforcing gender norms and shaping our conceptions of what is biological or natural. Men are assumed to be the stronger sex,

Athletes could be discouraged from playing certain sports due to social ideologies which may determine what suitable sports is for males and females. These homophobic trends emphasised by the media, could deter athletes from expressing themselves genuinely.