Gender and Sport

Discussion 5.1

The gender ideology is reinforced through sports in many ways. This includes the media coverage on the women’s sports. The media offers little coverage on the women’s sports but then offers great coverage on the men’s sports. There also exists the cultural image regarding the women and the physical activities they should engage themselves. Culture perceives women as creatures who are created for other activities other than sports. It does not allow the women to take part in the sports activities. In general, the position of women in the society is still in a transformation stage. Today, women participate in all kinds of activities from leadership to athletics. However, despite the fact that most cultures accept women to involve themselves in activities that were once considered male oriented, there are still stereotypes of the female athletes.

These stereotypes still exist today because the women are socially expected to possess a female image that is culturally described as small and thin. However, the female athletes always find it hard to maintain such an image due to the strengths, muscles and the masculine features that come with sporting activities. In addition, the female athletes are always proud of their features and discard the female behaviors. Most of them also have a problem finding clothes that fit their masculine bodies. The media also plays a great part in causing the stereotypes in the female athletes. They spend a lot of time focusing on the heterosexual relationships of the female athletes and focus very little attention on their achievements. These female athletes also report that their friends constantly remind them that they are different from the norm (Scraton & Flintoff, 2002).

Discussion 5.2

Previously, the women were not allowed to involve themselves in sporting activities. According to the cultural beliefs, they were to provide emotional support and support their families. However, in 1960, the women’s movement enabled the women to participate in sporting activities. I feel that this was a great opportunity for the women since previously; there was a lot of wasted talent with the rules that prevented women from involving themselves in sports. Today many female athletes make their countries proud in the sporting activities they involve themselves. I feel it was wrong to deny the women this chance and today, it is still wrong to have stereotypic views on female athletes. From my perspective, I find it fair to allow an equal share of the girls to participate in the high school athletics as the boys. This encourages the practice of equity in the sporting activities.

Based on my professional and past experiences, the females did not get a chance to participate in some of the sporting activities such as football and volley ball. The females had even gotten used to the idea of not playing these sports. They considered it an abnormal act. Others viewed those who played these sports differently. The males also considered such females too masculine. I do not find this to be fair to the women. I do not find it wise for a person to possess a sport talent but then fail to explore it due to the stereotypic views. However, as I progressed from my past to today, the various stereotypic views on the female athletes have reduced and today there are female athletes who play all existing sports. However, the stereotypic views have not completely ended but then today, the female athletes can comfortably engage in sporting activities as compared to the past (Scraton & Flintoff, 2002).

References

Scraton, S., & Flintoff, A. (2002). Gender and sport: A reader. London: Routledge