The topic of sexism has raised popular conversation for quite some time, it has played a part in many different work and athlete environments. It is an ongoing problem in the sports industry. Sexism not only affects women who are employed in the industry but also minorities and homosexuals. Sexism has been a topic of discussion for many years, but there have been no real attempts of change have been made. If the women and players who work in sports were offered more protection it could encourage more women to get involved in the field. Establishing rules that will protect people from sexism, could decrease some of the controversy between the two opposing genders.
First, our society has created a culture that brainwashes young men to develop the mentality that anything involved in the sports world is only for men. This way of thinking is only helping the cycle of nearly oppressing women in the industry to keep repeating. When it comes to keeping the feeling of being secure when it comes to a man’s masculinity, it is making a woman’s fight for respect a never-ending struggle. (Master 22) Something that may never be clearly understood is the sense of pride that Americans receive from belittling one another. People often get confused when the term “sexism” is used, the word is instantly used in the context of men being superior to women. Many times, it is forgotten that the word sexism is meant for stereotyping, discrimination, and prejudice. An example of this would be a female getting paid less than a man or receiving worse coaching than he, even when playing the same sport. It is often that men look at a woman and see a body, not another intelligent human. “These two forms of women’s participation received differential support from internal and external stakeholders: gender-segregated athletic participation was broadly endorsed, whereas only isolated women in the Olympic Movement challenged gender-neutral representations of leadership as illusory.” (Joseph 14) This connects to the thought that women are not knowledgeable and do not know how to teach a man to play sports or advise him in the game.
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Second, women have been expected to act in a different way than men in the industry. If a man is straightforward in what he wants, he may be considered tough. If a woman on the other hand is straight-forward in her demands and what she wants, she is bossy or rude. It seems as if people want to be represented by a man who knows exactly what he wants but does not want to be in the presence of a woman who knows her own needs. It may be that men feel threatened by a strong-willed woman. “A 2019 survey of female and gender non-conforming journalists indicated that online harassment was seen as the biggest threat or safety issue by 90 percent of U.S. respondents “(Antunovic 4) Women are being harassed over sexism to their face and over social media. The lengths those who subjectify will go to make the cycle seem as if it will never end.
However, one of the main reasons that women are being discriminated against is the media, which is against the law. The discrimination against women in sports stems from the lack of media coverage which results in men having unfair benefits. All women athletes work extremely hard to get to where they are now, with gender inequality in sports their hard work will go to waste. In 1972, Title IX was passed as a law to ban gender discrimination in sports. (Lovse 16) Since that law has been passed, many sports associations and colleges still offer unfair benefits to their athletes. A few examples of unfair benefits in a situation like this would be more opportunities, newer equipment, broader media coverage, and higher salaries than women. There are currently no punishments or changes being made towards the gender inequality issues, making it easier for sexism to stick around.
Next, stereotyping is another term that is aiding the inequality in the sports field. The stereotypes that society has created are to make men always seem masculine, strong, and athletic, while the opposing side of women is viewed to be supporting and assisting them. With the number of years that sexism has been lingering around, the media has been proclaiming these specific stereotypes. (Cibibin 2) Many humans either male or female, are beginning to believe that the stereotypes are true due to society making this a reality. Since the media tends to focus more on women and their stereotypes than the sport they are involved with, they make the problem of gender inequality even worse.
Furthermore, there are opposing views on how someone may feel about sexism in the sports world. There are many gendered views of the world, there are resulting beliefs that men and women are inherently different, meaning they have different set roles in life. Men and women have a natural order that should be allowed to run its course as it is supposed to. Many people think that men and women are created differently so that they are meant to complement each other, not work together with equal respect. Many dispute the idea of sexism in societies because of biological reasons like different sex organs. There is a natural male superiority that exists in history due to the different characteristics associated with a male. “There is a clear need to start with descriptive research to understand the current level of performance within female elite sport. The next challenge will be exploring the influence of female physiology.” (Emmonds 17) This often enables the common thought that men are naturally better at securing higher tasks than women. This indicates that the comparison of gender capabilities is not sexist but biologically determined. Next, an example of gender essentialism is that a woman’s most fulfilling role is to be a mother, not trying to build a career in the sports field. “This gender gap was magnified by a combination of direct and indirect instructions.” (Parks 2)
By acknowledging that women and men have innately different qualities, society jumps to the assumption that they must play different roles from each other. This by nature is normal, but unfortunately, this has caused a cycle of women being looked down upon and disrespected from the way women were treated before the 20th century. Due to negative media coverage and inequality of females related to sports, there is a decrease in females going into this field. From a young girl’s point of view, being a successful woman in the sports industry seems nearly impossible. The social gender ideologies that have been appearing time and time again, keep reducing women down to only a few characteristics that ultimately end up harming their persona in the end.
Another way people may view the topic of sexism in sports is that the movement of feminism is not worthwhile. Since modern feminism has often been in a negative light in recent years, it has often become associated with the phrase “man-hating”. (Goldman 8) There are some cases where discriminating against women has turned into an amusing joke, women are then told to calm down and lighten up a little because they were just joking. Whether certain comments create discomfort for the woman, the culture of sexism and gender discrimination has been taken too far and includes a lack of knowledge. For sexism to stop being a consistent pattern of interaction between males and females, acting on sexist behavior should be taken instantly to prevent the person from treating the next woman the same.
Over time, sexism in sports has continuously been an active pest to not only women but minorities and homosexuals too. “By comparing the available data on men and women coaching in sport, trends can be found whereby women represent a minority of coaches employed in elite sport, and the higher the level of performance, the lower the percentage of female trainers “(Cibibin 12) The real controversy comes from a lack of understanding what role women play in society. Women no longer want to be pushed back, not only in the sports industry but in general. It is independence in a woman that men may feel takes away from their masculinity. People who are involved with the sports industry are idolized by many children; the diversity of the backgrounds are empowering example for those who are watching. A person's love for a sports game is the core point that should be valued. Individuals’ personal life should not interfere with any aspect of the sports world.
In conclusion, females, both old, young, and of all ages, feel constricted if not trapped in the face of sexism. Day to day, society voices its biased opinions no matter how equal some countries have attempted to become in gender terms. No place in this world is a hundred percent of sexism, it still hides in an obvious and nonchalant place every day. Whether stereotyping is truthful to be related to sexism, it is still a form of prejudice and discrimination towards the people who are limited by it. In given situations, restrictive and negative mindsets are formed not only by men who view women but also by women who are faced with the situation themselves. Technically, sexism is genderless, which is why it is so influential and strong in the perception of humans. Female sexism is a prevalent problem today that must be carefully constrained, if not diminished, due to the ramifications it causes on females.
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