Sport and Gender Flashcards
What is the difference between sex and gender?
Sex: Biologically defined categories of differences between men and women.
Gender: The social attributes associated with masculinity and femininity, which are culturally constructed.
How are masculinity and femininity defined?
Masculinity: Associated with traits like leadership, power, assertiveness, and physical strength.
Femininity: Linked to nurturing, support, emotionality, and physical weakness. These are culturally constructed ideas.
What is meant by “gender boundaries are not fixed”?
Gender boundaries are maintained through everyday norms and interactions, are changeable over time and across cultures, and can be challenged.
How does gender influence personal identity and social relations?
Gender shapes how we think of ourselves and others, influences our relationships, and determines expectations for self-presentation. We learn gender roles that shape our identities and experiences.
What is “gender logic”?
A concept that combines biologically based sex roles with socially constructed gender roles, making the ideology seem natural and inevitable.
How does sport reinforce gender ideologies?
Sport promotes constructions of gender that privilege masculine traits while subordinates feminine traits. It serves as a site for both reinforcing and challenging these norms.
How are children socialized into gender roles?
Children are often raised with different expectations based on their gender, which is reinforced by schools, media, and social interactions. This leads to channeling into gender-appropriate activities.
What constitutes the “feminine ideal” in contemporary culture?
The feminine ideal promotes beauty, smallness, and thinness while discouraging muscularity, resulting in self-disciplines like dieting and exercise that may constrict women’s physical capabilities.
What does research suggest about gender differences in physical abilities like throwing?
A study found that boys threw their dominant arm 72% faster than girls, but both performed similarly with their non-dominant arms, suggesting that differences are culturally constructed rather than biologically determined.
