Chapter 11: Gender and Sports Flashcards
what is gender ideology?
ideas and beliefs used to define masculinity/femininity, identify people as male/female, evaluate forms for sexual expression, and organize social relationships
what are the 3 ideas and beliefs of the gender ideology?
- humans are male or female
- heterosexuality is normal and other feeling are unnatural/deviant
- men are stronger and more rational than women
how has the orthodox ideology influenced people?
- how they think about/identify themselves and others
- form and evaluate relationships
- develop expectations for themselves/others
- organize and distribute rewards in the social world
what is sex categories?
male or female based on physiological and psychological differences
what is gender?
what is considered masculine/feminine in a group or society
what is homophobia?
a generalized fear or intolerance of anyone who isn’t clearly classifiable as a heterosexual male or female
what are the 3 assumptions of how men structured sports?
- male-dominated
- male-identified
- male-centered
what are the myths that were told to women in order to discourage them from playing sports?
- it would damage their uterus
- make child birth difficult
- produce unfeminine bodies
what was a myth told to girls about playing baseball?
being hit in the chest by a baseball or an opponent sliding into a base could cause breast cancer
why did people believe the myths about women and sports?
it supported the orthodox gender ideology where women were naturally weak and vulnerable to injuries
what was an invader in sports?
people, mostly girls, who challenged the sports restrictions placed upon them
why did women call themselves ladies in sports?
- to avoid being labeled as invaders
- to let men know that they knew their place and wouldn’t take their resources
what is the female apologetic?
a way women presented themselves in order to downplay their masculinity and toughness
what is the reformed apologetic?
female athletes proudly expressing their assertiveness, toughness, and rightful place in sport while communicating femininity
what is a test that the International Olympic Committee has for women?
it requires women who appear unfeminine to prove their bodies don’t produce/use testosterone like men
what happens to women who naturally produce/use testosterone like men?
they are disqualified from competition because of the assumption that they have an unfair advantage
what was fem testing?
exams by medical professionals to check females genitalia and secondary sex characteristics to determine if they were female before competition
what is the female fairness policy?
a test on women who look suspiciously masculine to test for hyperandrogenism
what is hyperandrogenism?
a condition where women have naturally elevated androgen levels
what are androgens?
- steroid hormones produced by endocrine system glands
- stimulates the development of secondary sex characteristics (deepening of voice)
what is hegemonic masculinity?
the form of masculinity that is most widely accepted in society
what is title ix?
a law that states no person in the US shall be excluded, denied benefits, or be discriminated under any educational program or activity receiving federal financial assistance
what is the penalty for not following title ix?
the educational institution could lose some/all funds it receives from the federal government
why do people feel as thought title ix is unfair?
- the belief that boys are naturally made for sports and girls are not
- they felt as though it takes away from the boys’ resources
what is the global women’s rights movement?
- emphasized that girls and women are enhanced as humans when developing their intellectual and physical abilities
- changed family roles of women and encouraged more women to play sports
what was the health and fitness movement?
- brought awareness of the tensions between public health and companies that produce sporting goods and apparel
why do women have less opportunities for sports?
- there are less opportunities for women
- they have less time as they have more household chores than men
what are reasons for why women are underrepresented in coaching and administering sports?
- women are not considered to be able to meet expectations in men’s sports
- men use their connections with other men to help them obtain jobs
- job search committees are mainly composed of men who believe in the orthodox gender ideology
- women don’t have the same support system or opportunity as men
- women don’t choose coaching and administering due to the challenges of a male-dominated world
- women are more likely to experience sexual harassment
what are the 6 barriers of gender equity?
- budget cuts and privatization
- resistance to government regulations
- few models of women in power
- cultural emphasis on cosmetic fitness
- trivialization of women’s sports
- male-dominated/identified/centred sport organizations
why are girls sports more vulnerable to budget cuts than boys?
- less established and require more promotional costs
- less support from community
what is the relationship between cosmetic fitness and women in sports?
- promotes beauty over pleasure of playing sports making girls insecure about their bodies
- girls start to avoid sports till they “look good”
does sexualization of women sports bring more interest to women sports?
no, it makes the players seem attractive but does mot bring more interest to the sport itself
what are 3 things that make coming out easier for athletes?
- friends, teammates and coaches provide support
- local organization challenging homophobia
- legal protection and support for gays and lesbians
what are the IOC requirement for transgendered people being allowed in sports?
- they must have had sex-reassignment surgery
- two years of approved medically supervised hormone therapy
what are 4 reasons for why there’s a lack of action/activism for women sports?
- female athletes feel they have a lot to lose by promoting civil rights
- feminism promoted today focuses on individualism rather than ordinary struggles (child/health care)
- no emphasis for social/cultural change at an institutional level
- female athletes have little voice/control over their sport participation
what is usually the focus of gender equity?
- increasing sport programs and opportunities for females to the same level of males
why does gender equity not work?
- girls are less likely to see themselves as having sport skills making it less likely for them to take advantage of opportunity
- sports competition is heavily masculinized
- men are more likely to be coaches/managers in female programs
- sports are so sex-segregated that females see themselves representing beliefs of the orthodox gender ideology
- when males and females play together, males assume leadership even if they aren’t good leaders
