Gender Roles In Sports

Sex and gender are often disregarded as separate entities and are generally seen as a unit. Marx’s writings on gender and the family was the centre of debate in the 1970’s and the 1980’s. His theory was closely linked with the psychoanalytic theory and certain forms of Nancy Hartsock’s and Heidi Hartmann’s feminist theory. The two scholars rejected the similarity, and criticized his work as “gender blind”, they stressed the need for additional research and adaptions to his theory for Marxist’s to comprehend gender-relations (Heather Brown, 2014). Even though it wasn’t until the 1970’s that sex and gender received their own status, people today still classify them collectively.

When discussing gender, it’s important to examine the fixed biological

Gender roles are particular attitudes and behaviours society deem acceptable for each sex to conform to. Those who do not conform to these ‘social norms’ may face social disapproval (Kathleen Odell & Jonathan M. White 2014, pg 156). For example, ‘women can’t play sports’. Negative attitudes towards women playing sports derives from gender roles, and for centuries women were frowned upon by society for participating in sporting activities. Women have been victims of discrimination and have been marked by division and barriers in relation to sport. They have been subjected to stereotyping regarding their psychical ability, and their inability to confide to social roles. They are referred to sometimes as masculine or ‘butch’. The most evident inequalities include the lack of value placed on women’s sport, inadequate resources, and unequal wages and prizes (United Nations, 2007, pg 2-3). As a woman who plays sport I see these inequalities regularly. I play Camogie and I often play Ladies Football. According to the GAA it works with “sister organisations to promote “Laides Football and Camogie” (www.GAA.ie, 2014). Technically Camogie and Ladies Football are not members of the GAA, but rather associates. This division is also seen in my local club. My Camogie team received negative attitudes when applying for a training slot in preparation for our Championship final. We received comments like “you can have

There are three main viewpoints in relation to this topic. The first being the positive progress and changes in society in favour of women. Commentators highlight the accordance of woman in politics. They stress the important impact Mary Robinson and Mary Mc Aleese had on the Irish society as female Presidents, but also the political system. Additionally, they address the position of the Attorney General and the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court as being held by women, however, they fail to mention that no woman has ever been Taoiseach, which is the highest form of political importance in Ireland. Furthermore, they reflect on the recession and its impact on men’s gender role, how they have become more involved in the housework and childcare whilst the women become establish in the workforce. As a result of these developments, Ireland has inherited the title a ‘modern European state’ (Share, P. Corcoran, Conway, 2012, pg