Analysing Gender Inequality In Sports Sociology Essay

Analysing Gender Inequality In Sports Sociology Essay This essay will seek to describe the issue of women in sports, and discuss the reasons for this, with relevance to some of the concepts covered in this course. It will also go on to discuss the improvements and positives observed in recent years, and explore some other possible measures to improve the situation in the future. 2. Background In Ancient Olympics, competitive sports were masculine affairs. While males compete to show their prowess, women were prohibited to even watch competitions, much less compete. Quite simply, even in this day and age of supposed equality and meritocracy, sport still remains a male domain, especially on the community level. Even with improved opportunities and treatment, there is still an invisible barrier between sport and the everyday woman. In the next section, this essay shall explore some of the reasons for this situation. 3. Reasons 3.1 Introduction to Gender Ideology in sports The concept of ideology is one that we take for granted, or rather, something we do not even think about. It refers to the ideas and explanations we have been given since young, to explain personal and social life. We have been using our ingrained ideologies to make decisions and judgments ever since we could, without ever questioning or knowing them. In addition, Taylor (1994) mentioned that our identities are formed based on dialogical relations with our significant others. In other words, the complexities of our identities are not formed through cultural identification alone (monologic model) but through the interactions with people who are important to us. Gender, even more so than race or class, is a pivotal organizing factor in social life. While a person’s sex is decided by physical characteristics such as genitalia, gender is a social construct formed and shaped by the society (James A. Banks).It is the fundamental way humans classify each other. Thus, we are especially reliant on gender ideology and it is extremely influential on ho w we organize our thoughts, actions and lives, and how parents bring up their offspring. The deep-rootedness of gender ideology means that everyone makes decisions based on it, from children, teenagers, parents to people in power. Gender ideology plays a big role in how sport has been carried out throughout the ages. The idea that men are supposed to be strong, aggressive, fast and competitive is reproduced in many sports. Conversely, women are not encouraged to play sports because the above traits are not associated with women (women’s athletics: coping with controversy). Thus, a woman exhibiting the above traits would be going against the gender ideology that most people submit to, and this would make her an anomaly. A woman would have to cope not only with her community seeing her as ‘not feminine’, she also has to deal with lack of resources and financial support because her politicians also have the same ideology and do not support women in sport. Fortunatel y, the situation has considerably improved from the past. 3.2 Gender Ideology: dominance and stereotypes The fact that males are the dominant group is also accepted by most as part of their understanding of gender ideologies. This is correspondent to John Clammer’s point that social inequalities are seen as ‘natural’ and hence not to be tampered with.

Women in America Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Women in America - Essay Example However, the concept of ‘womanhood’ handed down through the ages, prevented them even from understanding that their own frustration, as women had been schooled to think that catering to the needs of the male-ruled world alone was their duty, and that alone can lead to fulfillment; â€Å"As a housewife and mother, she was respected as a full and equal partner to man in his world† observes Friedan (p. 1). Friedan goes on to describe the mental torture and torment that women had to undergo because of this conflict in their real emotions as against what they have been schooled to think.However, the concept of ‘womanhood’ handed down through the ages, prevented them even from understanding that their own frustration, as women had been schooled to think that catering to the needs of the male-ruled world alone was their duty, and that alone can lead to fulfillment; â€Å"As a housewife and mother, she was respected as a full and equal partner to man in his world† observes Friedan (p. 1). Friedan goes on to describe the mental torture and torment that women had to undergo because of this conflict in their real emotions as against what they have been schooled to think.  The important thing in Friedan’s work is that, while implies that women could find better fulfillment, if only they would go beyond the domestic frontiers and the roles imposed on them by the traditionally male-dominated society. Friedan seeks to emancipate womanhood from the ‘gendered’ roles imposed on her sex through work and occupation outside the domestic arena.   While Goldman’s perception of gender relations appears to be stronger and more vociferous. Goldman goes further in the analysis of   ‘feminine mystique’ discussed by Friedan and notes that   â€Å"a short period of married life, of complete surrender of all faculties, absolutely incapacitates the average woman for the outside world. She becomes reckless in appearance, clumsy in her movements, dependent in her decisions, cowardly in her judgment, a weight and a bore, which most men grow to hate and despise†. However, Goldman scorns marriage itself, as it is defeating in all ways.... 1). Friedan goes on to describe the mental torture and torment that women had to undergo because of this conflict in their real emotions as against what they have been schooled to think. The important thing in Friedan's work is that, while implies that women could find better fulfillment, if only they would go beyond the domestic frontiers and the roles imposed on them by the traditionally male-dominated society. Friedan seeks to emancipate womanhood from the 'gendered' roles imposed on her sex through work and occupation outside the domestic arena. While Goldman's perception of gender relations appears to be stronger and more vociferous. Goldman goes further in the analysis of 'feminine mystique' discussed by Friedan, and notes that "a short period of married life, of complete surrender of all faculties, absolutely incapacitates the average woman for the outside world. She becomes reckless in appearance, clumsy in her movements, dependent in her decisions, cowardly in her judgment, a weight and a bore, which most men grow to hate and despise" (Marriage and Love 3-4). However, Goldman scorns marriage itself, as it is defeating in all ways; she says "The institution of marriage makes a parasite of woman, an absolute dependent." (M&L 1) She partially holds women responsible for their subjugation and hampering their own emancipation, "The woman considers her position as worker transitory, to be thrown aside for the first bidder" (Goldman 3). Furthermore, Goldman criticizes the other institutions like religious bodies and the state for burdening women in various ways form which they seek emancipation, "because woman recognizes the awful toll she is made to pay to the Church,

The Weather Makers by Tim Flannery Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Weather Makers by Tim Flannery - Essay Example All of the possible natural causes of global warming will have occurred by 2050 and man has control over the speed at which global warming will progress. There is no existing model that can be able to determine the possibility of our saving the earth, and its many habitats and species (Flannery 153-165). Chapter 17: The commitment and Approaching Extreme Danger Several eras and times have had the most impact on climate change. The Baby boomer generation in particular can be held as being the most accountable generation in respect to the levels of CO2 that has been emitted into the atmosphere. The impact of the greenhouse gases that are currently in our atmosphere will be fully felt by around the year 2050. This can mainly be attributed CO2 long life in the earth’s atmosphere. Nearly half of the entire world’s energy that has been generated since the industrial revolution has been consumed within the past 20 years. The effect of the response by the planet to these temper ature changes varies from the earth’s surface, to the atmosphere as seen with the example by the data collected in 2002. The data recorded the planet’s temperature to be over the preindustrial temperature conditions by about 0.8 degrees Celsius. The troposphere also saw an increase of about 0.25 degrees Celsius while the land surface witnessed the highest levels of temperature increase of about 1.2 degrees Celsius (Flannery 166-170). Chapter 18: Leveling the Mountains It is estimated that, for a distance travelled up a mountain of approximately one hundred yards, the temperature drops by about one degree F. This cooling is what makes mountains unique and not just a taller version of the land surrounding it. As the world rapidly warms, the mountain-dwelling species have no option but to move further up to the cooler regions which is a factor that could potentially lead to their extinction (Flannery 171-177). Chapter 19: How can they keep on moving? Various species manag ed to survive climate change in the past by moving up mountains, until they were able to reach temperatures that would ensure their survival. Nowadays water bodies and various human landscapes are impeding their paths and getting in the way of any migration. An example of this is the fynbos found in the Cape Fold Mountains which is one of the six floral kingdoms in the world. It will potentially lose up to half its species by 2050 due to global warming as they will be unable to migrate. If action were to be taken immediately, we would be able to save two species for each species killed, but if we fail to do this, three out of every five species will not live to see the next century (Flannery 178-183). Chapter 20: Boiling the Abyss When deep-sea dwelling creatures are caught by marine biologists trawling nets and are lifted to the ocean’s surface, they die within moments a factor that scientists have been attributing to pressure changes. This has wrongly been attributed to be a result of temperature changes, but modern science has now shown this to be as a result of temperature change. These creatures are used to temperatures hovering around zero and have evolved to withstand and survive in these temperatures.