Sports and Gender Essay

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.

Sport contributes to gender, race and class inequalities and not very much work has been done to resolve the problem (Messner 1989). Talbot (2002:282) identify the neglect of scholarly articles to address the issue of sexual and structural prejudices, as well as discrimination (in the form of media biases, homophobia, legal challenge of exclusion in sports and sports organisations), as a factor which limit the opportunities for sportswomen (Pirinen 2002:101) resulting in women’s lower participation levels (Pedersen 1996:191).

Our general public has a tendency to characterize manliness and womanliness as per unbending sexual orientation standards that are found out at youthful ages. These standards are obvious in dialect, observations, practices and leisure activities. Since game is viewed as an awesome American hobby, it is a mainstream domain for the detachment of the genders and the production of socially characterized appropriate parts for ladies and men. Sports like working out and boxing have come to be seen as manly in light of the fact that they include customarily manly attributes, for example, quality and animosity. Interestingly, games, for example, vaulting and ice-skating have come to be seen as ladylike on the grounds that they include expectedly female attributes, for example, appeal and beauty.

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

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

Introduction Throughout history society has celebrated males for their bravery and achievements (particularly their war or fighting prowess), whilst females have been praised more for their sexuality and beauty, and not their accomplishments (Heru, 2003). In sport, society also historically favoured male dominance, whilst females were oppressed and prevented from sports participation as an athletic body was not considered ‘feminine’ (Carty, 2005). In the modern world, and despite female participation in sport increasing over the last 25 years (Acosta & Carpenter, 2014), it is well documented that male dominance in sport society, and society as a whole, prevails (Burton, 2015). Even where female sports coverage is present, females are often

Gender stereotypes have long been a contentious issue in sport. Sport requires participants to be competitive, courageous, determined, muscular, powerful and strong. These

Sargent et al. (1998) suggested that gender difference influence different preference and enjoyment of viewing televised sports. Sargent et al. (1998) categorized nine sports into three broad classifications: 1) combative sports, 2) mechanized sports, and 3) stylistic sports. The combative sports included sports which require direct physical contact among players as well as violent sports (e.g., football, hockey), and aggressive sports (e.g., soccer and baseball). Mechanized sports consist of sports which use of tools (e.g., hunting), and stylistic

Sports activities are an overly sexualized industry and as a result, there have been many inequalities between the two genders. In the sports society amongst the two gender there are many issues: pay differences, promotion issues, and professional injustices. Society has evolved to believe that men should be muscular and play contact sports, while women should participate in less physically demanding sports and wear revealing attire. Women’s sports like women’s basketball, softball, and bodybuilding are not taken as seriously as men’s sports, which ultimately results in many women being overlooked when it comes to their athletic capabilities. Also, women are often used in advertisements to sell sport affiliated merchandise.

The masculinities and femininities which exist in society play an important role in the gender inequality and gender relations. There are many cultural activities which are gendered and contribute to the construction and reconstruction of these femininities and masculinities. One of the most prominent cultural activities which are gendered is sport. Therefore we need to be aware of the role sport has in constructing masculinities and femininities and the ideology, sportocracy. Sport is a gendered cultural activity because it perpetuates many gender stereotypes and promotes or encourages specific masculinities, especially aggression, physicality, competitiveness and dominance.

With respect to gender, there is an obvious stereotype of male dominance within our society. They are seen as powerful and masculine, whereas women are seen as fragile and feminine. The idea of male dominance in society carries over to sport as well. Sport in the past has been seen as a male privilege that requires masculinity to take part in. This has marginalised women from taking part in various sports, especially in contact sports (Wheatley, 1994).

Another sociologist, Michael Messner, illustrates how society “does gender” by discussing the elective affinity between masculinity and sports through his piece entitled, “Boyhood, Organized Sports, and the Construction of Masculinities” (Messner, 1990). In this article Messner claims that sports teach people to devalue femininity, which is evident through negative expressions coined by society such as “You throw like a girl.” Because playing sports teaches aggression and teamwork, the world of sports is an institution that is built around masculinity. Even when women play sports, they are masculinized.

Sports -the ideas of competitive physical movement- have always appeared to be a male dominant field. Not necessarily due to women being incapable of the same activities, yet hence history, media coverage, and ultimately, popularity. Although female athletes like Serena Williams or Yuna Kim have been making their marks within the past few decades, the amount of attention and support they receive is humiliating relative to male athletes.

In the last one hundred years women have made tremendous inroads in many facets of life. Of that there can be little doubt. Women may now hold jobs, own property and participate in professional sports. Today women can compete in sports, once a vestige of male domination; there is now room for women in that arena. But even today women in sports are not portrayed in the same light as their male counterparts. To a large degree this is because of today's cultural ideal of women.