Title IX Thesis

The literature review of this article focuses on Title IX itself, as well as statistical numbers that provide the reader knowledge about the impact it has had. Title IX is a comprehensive federal law that has removed many barriers that once prevented people, on the basis of sex, from participating in educational opportunities and careers of their choice (Bower & Hums, 2013). Acosta and Carpenter (2012) reported that the number of female athletes playing college sports has risen from 16,000 in 1968 to over 200,000 in 2012. Although the increased number of opportunities has provided women the chance to participate in the sport, the percentage of women coaching women’s teams has decline over time from 90% in 1972 to 42.9% in 2012 (Acosta & Carpenter, 2012). Alongside coaching is the lack of women working in intercollegiate administration. In 1972, the percentage of female athletic directors overseeing women’s programs was 90%, Today, the percentage of female athletic directors is 20.3%, a small increase from 2010

Before Title IX was signed by President Nixon on June 23 and went into effect on July 1 of 1972, both women and young girls were excluded from many activities that men and young boys were allowed to do. Since the passing of Title IX, women have excelled in all sports tremendously. This essay will argue that because of Title IX, women can now participate in various activities and sports. Title IX of Educational Amendments prohibits sex discrimination in any educational program or activity receiving any type of financial aid, and because of this enactment made by Congress in 1972, women have left their mark on sports history.

The idea of equity in society particularly in athletics has been a major topic in athletics for many years. However, in spite of the long and storied history of the fight for equity in athletics we still see a lot of misunderstanding especially involving one particular law. This law is Title IX which has a number of awful misconceptions associated with it even from female athletes themselves. One misconception that is very popular especially among the critics of Title IX is the idea that “Title IX exists to force to schools to drop men’s sport’s”(Kane, pg. 3). This is something that was reinforced by an report authored by Dr. Mary Jo Kane who is a Professor at the University of Minnesota regarding the 40th anniversary of Title IX. Dr. Kane indicated that she opens her sport sociology class discussions on Title IX by asking her class what they know about this subject. Dr. Kane indicated in her report that Title IX “remains a mystery to the vast majority of her students, both male and female” (Kane, pg. 3). Dr. Kane goes on to point out the misconception mentioned above is commonly said by her students including her female D1 scholarship athletes who are the ones that have benefitted most from this law. Overall Title IX is a great law even if it is a law that takes a lot of bad press although this is largely due to the actions or in some cases lack thereof from the leaders who reside in college athletics.

Imagine being a female athlete before 1972, you practice playing basketball everyday just like the boys do, but they have multiple scholarship opportunities to go to college where as females do not. They tell you to be a cheerleader or work in the kitchen and stay at home, but in your heart you are a competitor and have a passion for sports. This is a feeling that many females felt before Title IX; was explicated to give female’s gender equality in sports. Title IX has positively affected women’s sports over the years, but can negatively impact men’s teams, especially within the collegiate field. Title IX has changed budgeting and participation numbers between males and females, while opening up several opportunities for women. I am going to inform you how Title IX affects females and males in collegiate and high school sports, the history about Title IX, facts and statistics, how it has positively changed the way women participate in sports, and what it has to do with race and minorities.

In 1972 Congress passed the Educational Amendments. One section of this law, Title IX prohibits discrimination against girls and women in federally funded education, including in athletic programs. Since its arrival, in regards to athletics, there have been arguments for and against the many aspects pertaining to this law. Title IX has had a large impact on high school and college athletics in the attempt to give females an equal opportunity, but the means by which they are achieving this goal is an ongoing debate.

The creation of Title IX in 1972 banned gender discrimination in schools nationwide, particularly in sports (Huffman 4). Without it, superstar female athletes such as Lisa Leslie, Mia Hamm, or the Williams sisters would not be internationally famous. They also would not have the media exposure they get in sports without Title IX. In addition to the few that were just named, media is focusing more and more on female athletes such as Michelle Wie and this year's winter Olympic silver medalist in figure skating, Sasha Cowen. In conjunction with the popularity of female athletes, Title IX has pushed for equality over the past three decades. In Suzanna Huffman's article from "Mass Communication and Society," it states that "Title IX has encouraged school administrators to work toward gender equity in athletic spending, and now many more women participate in college sports and earn college athletic scholarships than in years past" (4). Although this statement is generalized, it is close to the truth in today's culture among men and women. The impact that Title IX has bestowed on women has created a positive outcome. It is astonishing to see what one document in 1972 can do to increase equality for women, yet create so many controversies with it.

Over two decades have passed since the enactment of Title IX, a federal law prohibiting sex discrimination in federally funded education, including athletics. As a result of Title IX, women and girls have benefited from more athletic participation opportunities and more equitable facilities. Because of Title IX, more women have received athletic scholarships and thus opportunities for higher education that some may not have been able to afford otherwise. In addition, because of Title IX the salaries of coaches for women's teams have increased. Despite the obstacles women face in athletics, many women have led and are leading the way to gender equity.

Even when Title IX was first introduced, it was not embraced with open arms and immediately implemented into society. Scholarships and funding toward women’s sports were a huge controversy, as many men’s athletic teams, mostly football, found themselves having to give up funding toward their program to compensate for the new women’s teams being formed. In fact, schools, men’s collegiate sport teams, and the NCAA challenged Title IX countless times for it’s discrimination against men and it’s push for equal federal funding for both men and women. Many male coaches, athletic directors, and particularly members of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) feared that women athletes would siphon off too much of their funds. So The NCAA had actively and publically opposed Title IX, trying first to exclude athletics from it altogether in 1975, and then working to exempt revenue producing sports like football.

Since 1972 there have been many cultural changes, but more incredible are the social changes that have allowed women to thrive since the bill’s passage. Title IX was originally proposed for the purpose of helping women break into male dominated aspects of life including sports, the workforce, and college. Title IX has had the largest impact on sports, from media coverage to finances (Lopiano, 2000). Examining a breakdown of how much

In recent years, there has been a passionate debate that has gained considerable attention between same-sex physical education classes and coeducational physical education classes. Coeducation physical education classes were executed in an attempt to meet and sustain the requirements of Title IX. Title IX, Education Amendments of 1972, prohibits discrimination, exclusion of participating in, or receiving benefits of any academic program or activity, based on sex, in an educational institution receiving federal financial funds. Title IX provides integration of males and females in physical education classes; however, unfortunately, it does not guarantee equal treatment.

Sports have always been an intrical part of America's culture and society, from playing baseball in the front yard to knocking a homerun out of the ballpark, but this playing in the fields only applied to boys. Unfortunately, before Title Nine was established in 1972, there was a great deal of harassment towards women playing educational sports. This new amendment to the Civil Acts, broke down the barriers for women, and demanded proportionality between men's and women's athletic programs. Due to the way of society 35 years ago, Title Nine was necessary for women to receive equal rights in educational sports.

I, Nathan Addison, a student-athlete at Upper New England University stand in opposition to the president’s proposal to cut men teams. It’s essential for myself and others student-athletes to be academically proficient in the classrooms, before competing outside in our sport. I understand that Title IX protects against discrimination, but cutting the men’s team isn’t a great solution to create equal opportunity for men and women sports. By cutting men’s teams, the budget will be increased. Nothing states in Title IX or even in the policies that UNEU should reduce or cut men’s opportunities to be in Title IX compliant. There has to be common ground between male and women athletics in terms of what sports should be cut, kept, or funded. No

The critiques raised by Carton and Rosner are reasonable and are issues that should be addressed and studied further. The journey to gender equality must be one of constant re-evaluations. Title IX has significantly made progress toward improving accessibility of both education and sport to women in America. It has also done much to normalize these issues, though there is still room to improve.

Reverse discrimination, that is, “the indirect result... [wherein universities] reduce the number of roster spots available on men's teams or, in the alternative, eliminate these teams completely,” is a notable concern, however is largely baseless.xii The primary goal of Title IX was to expand access to education (and, as a result, to sport). Therefore, the act of lowering men's programs, as opposed to raising those of the women, suggests that the group being discriminated against is unworthy of positive treatment.xiii Given the need to raise the standing of women, it is essential that these quota systems were created until the desired changes become the norm, rather than a goal. When considering these issues, it must be remembered that men suffer disproportionately, and that those men who risk losing their opportunities are not the causes of long-standing gender inequality.xiv It is worthwhile to note that men's highschool sport participation rates have hovered around 50% from 1969 until at least the publishing of Getting in the Game in 2012.xv If the overall goal is participation, for both men and women, the reverse discrimination cases have less ground to stand upon given this statistic. Writing on Title IX and from social justice perspective, Meisner and Solomon conclude that the female rate of participation increasing so dramatically compared

Title IX signed into law on June 23rd, 1972 by President Richard M. Nixon states that “no person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving federal financial assistance.” (Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, 44 Fed. Reg. at 71413). Since this law was enacted we have seen a dramatic increase in female sports participation. Tile IX has had a positive impact on female athletes as females now make up over “40% of college athletes… compared to two percent before the time of the legislation” (Staurowsky & Weight, 2001, Pg. 190). Although Title IX has increased participation of female athletes it has not aided in achieving equality for women and girls in sports. I believe the barriers that prevent equality for female athletes can be broken down into two categories media coverage, and public perception. The media has majority control over what the public believes is important and most recently female athletes received 1.6% of television coverage, 4.9% of magazine covers, and only 9.7% of featured sports articles (Fink, 2015). Not only do female athletes not get enough media coverage, but when they do “the focus is often on their physical appearance, femininity, and/ or heterosexuality” (Fink, 2015, Pg. 331). This coverage creates a negative public perception toward female athletes. Thus the public believes that sports