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Essay on womens participation in sport
The pay gap between men and women in sports
Women in the world of sport
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Identities, Impacts, and Outcomes for Women in Sport
Shenique D. Pharr
Salem College
Women in sport are not only an identity for women who compete across the country, but it is a motivation boost for women throughout sports and a confidence booster as well. There are many important factors that define the women in sport society. For example, Title IX 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 (20 U.S.C. Section 1681 (a), (2011).” This was the right that gave women the open hand into the sports world, and paved the way for the successes
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Billy Jean King was the woman who received equal pay. Serena and Venus Williams are two women that removed the idea that your physical appearance has to be a certain way to do what you love, and showed emotions during matches which shocked society. These are all attributions that set made way for the view of women in sports today. However, just like there are women who are known for this, there are many who went …show more content…
There are many athletes and coaches who formulate the idea of women in sport, and give the culture an uplifting outlook on athletes who are women and competitors.
Sports, for both genders, have deviation, especially when considering equal pay, and equal media attention. There are possible solutions that can increase equality in order for us to live in a society that celebrates and values women’s past, present, and potential contributions to sport. Although there are barriers, there are commodities that can be adjusted in order to seek changes in all sports.
The pay in Men’s and Women’s basketball varies tremendously. Beginning with Collegiate sports, male students get 55 percent of athletic scholarships, leaving females to fight it out for the remaining 45 percent. Though women on average make up 57 percent of collegiate athletes, they only receive 43 percent of participation opportunities. Unsurprisingly, women teams receive only thirty-three percent of recruitment funding. (Hope Racine, n.p) After viewing numbers, the outcome of women competing in a collegiate sport is higher than males. Then it is narrowed down much more. In collegiate sports, there are three division levels. Division one provides full scholarship, Division two provides up to at least partial scholarships, and Division three receives
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.
Title IX and the Education Amendments of 1972 were created to defend equal opportunities for women of all ages. Since its inception 44 years ago, women have seen impressive strides as well as disappointing failures. Social prejudice continues to exist limiting female participation opportunities, benefits for female athletes, coaching opportunities, and increased exposure to sexual assault and abuse. Few institutions treat female athletes equally due to the lack of enforcement by collegiate athletic departments. The enforcement of Title IX has not been a priority among far too many educational institutions leaving women open to discrimination and mistreatment.
Since the 1972 conception of Title IX of the Education Amendments, the number of women participating in intercollegiate athletics has increased five-fold, from fewer than 30,000, to more 150,000 in 2001. However, more than 400 men’s athletics teams have been dismantled since Title IX, the law forbidding sex discrimination at institutions receiving federal funds, became law. Some would say this is due, in part, to Title IX enforcement standards like proportionality. Proportionality requires that an institution’s athletic population must be of an equal ratio to its general student body. Among some of the 400-plus teams dismantled by Title IX are several former Colorado State University teams including wrestling, baseball, gymnastics, men’s swimming and diving, and men’s tennis. CSU student athletes no longer sport the opportunity of participating in these activities at the NCAA Division I level, and the days of the student body rooting for their ram teams are gone, possibly forever. Now the search is on to find a solution to the problems associated with Title IX if, indeed, a solution is ultimately necessary.
When the American people think of women in sports, they think of ice skating, field hockey, and diving. People don’t recognize that women have the potential to play any sport that a man can play, with equal skill, if not better. Much has changed for women since the 1970’s. One of the most important events that have happened in the world of female athletics is the establishment of professional athletics for women. Educational Amendments of 1972.
Diana is an excellent illustration of the many struggles of women to find a place for themselves in sports. On an individual level, defying societal stereotypes is extremely difficult. The buriers that the first person must overcome are often extreme. However once the first person breaks down those buriers, it becomes increasingly easier for others to follow in their footsteps. Diana's struggle demonstrates both how far women have come and how far women still have to go.
The enactment of this Title has significantly changed the playing field for athletic departments through out the nation by altering their funding systems to comply with its rules. As a result, women have benefited greatly. There have been additions of female sports as well as an increase of the number of scholarships awarded to female athletes, and also a lot more funding to provide more “equitable” facilities for them. According to the NCAA Gender Equity Studies , “from 1992 to 1997 NCAA institutions have increased the number of female athletes by 5,800. But tragically during that time these colleges also eliminated 20,900 male athletes.” (Kocher p.1) This dramatic landslide has occurred because athletic departments are under pressure to rapidly increase the proportion of female athletes by whatever means necessary. As the path toward complete “equality” gradually brightens for women in college athletics, a dark path is now becoming evident. Male athletes, in a sense, are now being discriminated against because of Title IX.
Since 1972, sports have slowly undergone major changes that prove well today. Title IX has helped girls and women have more of an advantage on the athletic fields. “The Title IX of the Education Amendments Act of 1972 says that no person in the United States, based on gender, can be excluded from participating, denied benefits of, or subjected to discrimination under any educational program.” (Athletics). It allows for both men and women to play sports whether it is a girl on the football or wrestling team, a boy cheerleading, or even gymnastics. Title IX builds confidence, has helped women have a chance in sports, and has equal opportunities for both sexes.
“The past three decades have witnessed a steady growth in women's sports programs in America along with a remarkable increase in the number of women athletes (Daniel Frankl 2)” From an early age women were thought to be “Lady Like”; they are told not to get all sweaty and dirty. Over 200 years since Maud Watson stepped on the tennis courts of Wimbledon (Sports Media Digest 3); women now compete in all types and levels of sports from softball to National racing. Soccer fans saw Mia Hamm become the face of women’s soccer around the world, Venus and Serena Williams are two of the most popular figures in tennis, and Indy car racing had their first woman racer, Danika Patrick. With all the fame generated by these women in their respective sports, they still don’t receive the same compensation as the men in their respective sports fields.
Gender in sports has been a controversial issue ever since sports were invented. In the early years, sports were played only by the men, and the women were to sit on the sidelines and watch. This was another area of life exemplifying the sexism of people in which women were not allowed to do something that men could. However, over the last century in particular, things have begun to change.
The first perspective is that women are disadvantaged at any sport. Some people reiterate the difference of men and women in sports. This is influenced by strength and the natural power men hold, comparable to women. Rodriguez questions “Is this because female athletes don’t have what it takes to make it in the world of sports or could it be more of a social issue?” This perspective seems to be a social issue based on the notable skills women acquire vs. the apparent judgments of gender issues. The second perspective is the idea that women deserve and inherently earn their right of equal attention and equal pay. “Sometimes, the secret to equality is not positive discrimination, it 's equal terms. It 's the shrug of the shoulders that says "what 's the difference?" The moment worth aspiring for is not seeing people celebrate the world-class female cricketer who competes at comparatively low-level male professional cricket, but the day when people are aware that she does, and don 't find it notable at all” (Lawson). Lawson makes it a point to confirm the biased notions against women in sports and relay an alternative worth working toward and fighting for. Both outlooks can be biased but only one has factual evidence to back it up. The second perspective reviews an ongoing gender issue. This problem is welcome for change depending on society’s
Title IX is a law that requires high schools and colleges to give the same amount of money to both girls and boys sports in an attempt to make the genders equal. However, instead of simply equalizing the two sides, this law provides more scholarships for women because they are still competing in fewer sports than men. This will usually peak the parent’s interest, making them believe that there are plenty of scholarships out there for their daughters. Unfortunately this is not exactly true. As Lester Munson, an associate editor at Sports Illustrated, explains it (in an article by Brendan Tierney), “This is the theory that many parents have that if they start their child young enough, and work him or her hard enough, that he or she will get a college scholarship or become a professional athle...
Department of Justice stated “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 educational program or activity receiving federal financial assistance.” Sabo and Snyder discuss how Title IX may have intended to “level the playing field in education” but it legally changed the sport industry. Equal opportunity is visible to the spectator but unequal pay is not necessarily visible within professional sports. Tennis is a prime example of this analogy. Men and women’s singles and doubles matches are competing all over the world and providing strong competition to each other.
Although the difference between male and female may merely be two letters; in sports it means millions of dollars. Sports and athletics are an influential part of many people’s lives. From a young age, boys and girls are raised around sports; some of these little stars continue on with their passions to become professional athletes. Sadly, today only one group of these people are respected how they deserve to be. A portion of these athletes, more specifically women athletes, are facing unfair discrimination.
Women entering the world of sports were aware that they were placing themselves in a male dominated field. With their entrance into the sporting world, these women have opened themselves. up to many different criticisms and to the possibility of exploitation. within the media and from male authority figures. Women in sports are constantly striving for equality where hegemonic masculinity in social Sporting institutions value male athleticism at the expense of female.
With the introduction of Title IX, many thought this would be a great leap for females in athletics. Title IX states, “No person in the United States shall, by 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.” Therefore, under this law, there must be the same amount of sports offered to females as there is for males within a federally funded school, but still, yet most of the time the female dominated sports are not given the same privileges as the male dominated sports. For example, at Boyle County High School, the male basketball, soccer, and football teams all have their individual locker rooms whereas the female basketball and soccer share a locker room, the volleyball team has to share with the regular gym classes, track, and softball, and when asking where the cheerleading locker room is the administration will take you to a little cage in the gym with no lockers or even a door for them to be able to change in the room. So, while Title IX does make a number of sports equal, there is still discrimination between sexes.