Gender Sports Stereotypes
Why a change is neccessary
The Effect
Gender discrimination in sports today has led to male and female athletes being forced to participating in perceived masculine sports. The effect of men and women ideologies on the world seems to be a tradition, rather than a problem. Ideologies such as, how male and female athletes should act and behave like and what they can and cannot do. Boys at a young age being placed in physical sports to train their mind to be aggressive and strong, just because they are a boy. Girls at a young age are placed in feminine sports/activities to train their mind to not be physical and masculine like.
Male Athletes vs Female Athletes
Men:
- Men must play sports to prove their masculinity
- Men may ONLY play physical sports and not feminine sports
- For example: boxing NOT figure skating
Women:
- Women are portrayed manly if they play sports
- Women are considered unappealing, unless they wear short skirts while playing
- Their ability to play sports is questioned
- They must only play feminine sports
- For example: Figure skating NOT boxing
"According to the Women’s Sports Foundation, male athletes get $179 million more in athletic scholarships each year than females do."
Who enforces these stereotypes
The media plays a major role in brainwashing humans on how male and female athletes should be like to fit in society. From the way we think to the way we act is all controlled by the media. A child's knowledge comes mainly from the media. Research shows that the more television kids watch, the more likely they are to hold sexist notions.
Media vs Men
The media effects on males have drastically changed the term "natural" in any sport. If not all but most sports have athletes taking a muscle substance to enhance their look. This allows athletes to feel less insecure about their body and more appreciative of how they look.
A study shows that nearly 18% of teenager boys are highly concerned with their physique. The media is presenting men in the "perfect body" shape which is completely wrong, because only 1-2% males actually have that body.
In The Mirror: A Look Into Male Body Image & Body Dysmorphic Disorder
Media vs Women
In today's day and era it is vividly clear that males are the dominant figures where as females are "show pieces" in sports. The majority of male athletes media attention comes from their ability and talent. But for female athletes, they tend to receive more attention for their physical appearance than their talent
Caitlin Davis Fisher: The body image of female athletes
How can we as a society make a change?
We as a society need to act fast on these ideologies as they as well as media have a major effect on today's youth and upcoming generation. We have the ability to change these ideologies as well as change the corrupt mentality that the media enforces for male and female athletes. It's time that we stop portraying male and female athletes as perfect shaped objects and rather portray them as strong talented individuals who have the ability to make history in the sports world!
Ways to Help
Women's Sports Foundation
- An organization funded to help provide girls who want to pursue a career in sports without being criticized
- Click on thir URL to donate
- http://www.womenssportsfoundation.org/en/home/about-us
Other ways to Help:
- Attend women sports events
- Coach boys and girls teams for sports which are not popular
- Encourage young women and men to participate in sports of their choice