Essay on Power Structures of Men and Women in Sports

Power Structures of Men and Women in Sports As an athlete or a spectator, it is easy to both feel and see the impact sports have on people of both genders. Athletes are able to experience sports personally, while spectators usually experience sports through different channels of mass media. Realizing the effects that the world of athletics has on individuals and society as a whole is vital to the understanding of how sports can positively and negatively effect athletes as well as spectators. To deepen our understanding of the cultural values embedded in sports and to explore current values and power structures regarding men and women, it is necessary to investigate the effect that the media may possibly have in influencing beliefs†¦show more content†¦If men do not maintain this expected image, and choose to participate in sports that have been dominated mostly by women, their sexuality is questioned. Comments like, Wow, what a Fag, are often directed toward male figure skaters when viewed by spectators. This is very unfair and hurtful to the victims of this false perception. Aside from males participating in figure skating, women boxers are generally viewed by others as manly. This is one of the most offensive terms a person can call a female boxer. The word degrades femininity, especially when referring to a woman who chooses to be active in a sport that is non-tradition to her gender and has nothing at all to do with her femininity. In the film Girl Fight the main character, Diana, chooses to train to become a boxer. It is apparent that Diana is not a lesbian because she has a boyfriend, so her sexuality is not the issue in this film. However, because she is a female in a male-dominated sport, Diana does not generate the support of many people when she proposes her idea about boxing. Boxing is considered inappropriate for her because she is a female. The trainer tells her that he cannot work with her, but Diana does not allow this to stop her. The time, devotion, heart, and desire she gives are all key elements in her efforts to becoming a successful b oxer. Both men and women undergo social costs when participating in a sport that isShow MoreRelatedEssay about Men and Women: Equality in Sports903 Words   |  4 PagesMen and Women: Equality in Sports Many of the pre-existing womens sports organizations such as Association of Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (AIAW), Fà ©dà ©ration Sportive Fà ©minine Internationale (FSFI), and American Basketball League (ABL) have been the casualties of male dominated sports structure. These organizations merged or dissolved as other male dominated institutions began to include womens competitive sports. The NCAA saw the potential for additional revenue as the AIAW grew. RatherRead MoreDifferences Between Dominant And Subordinate Groups Of The Dominant Group1503 Words   |  7 Pagessociety. 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