Women+in+Sport-+a+Whole+New+Awakening

**Name: Amelia Tsikleas** **Student Number: n8320225** **Lecturer: Ms Julie-Anne Carroll** **Tutor: Ms Sophie Miller**

 // "Women playing sport is an extremely powerful social change tool because it teaches women confidence, self esteem and strength. It changes them. It’s part of the reason that the men wanted women out of sports for a very long time.” (Donna Lopiano, former Executive Director of the Women’s Sports Foundation) //

**CULTURAL ARTEFACT - THE REPRESENTATION OF WOMEN IN SPORT AND THE MEDIA** media type="file" key="How the Media Influences .flv" width="612" height="461" align="center"

**ARTEFACT ANALYSIS** In the video seen above, the under representation and marginalization of women in sport within the media is analysed throughout the YouTube footage. This video also depicts exactly how women in sport are seen within the media of today placing much emphasis on physical appearance rather than sporting prowess. This video, posted on the 5th of December, 2010 by user trinebeene247 was titled how the Media Influences the Degradation of Women's Sports and presents the idea of presenting females as feminine rather than profound athletes and it also presents the idea that ultimately, sport is a mans world due to their athletic power and the misconception that men have greater sporting ability. In the second part of the video (0:47 onwards), the “Heterosexist Images degrading women” are shown to the audience. This small yet significant part of the clip show exactly how women are represented to this day. Women in sport and the media as seen in this clip, are seen as additions, cover models and ultimately sex symbols to get the male viewer or reader interested in that particular sport. Each image shows a women in a provocative stance, wearing a small amount of clothing and this gives the impression to the audience that these “athletes” are weak, passive and only out to make money by posing for these magazines and or advertisements on television.

**PUBLIC HEALTH ISSUE** This chosen media artefact clearly highlights the very clear marginalization and under representation of women in sport and the media. In a modern world, it is almost impossible to walk down the street, turn on the television or read a magazine in a news agency without witnessing how advertisements depict women in sport. They are seen as sexualised objects or additions to a sport and this leads to the very sad trend of professional female athletes feeling like they need to pose for one of these magazines in order to gain media success. For female athletes to do so, this can be seen as extremely dangerous to their own health and well being. Firstly, these women feel like they have to look and act a certain way and this could lead to many problems for these women. Something as small as how a women is portrayed by the media could lead to an increase in many psychological health risks for that female athlete. Anxiety, depression and eating disorders such as bulimia and anorexia could all become prevalent as these women do not feel successful in their own bodies. Additionally, the public health issue explored here deals with the idea of sport displaying many masculine characteristics; characteristics which female athletes may feel alienated about having. This is due to the fact that these qualities may make them look in degrading terms, “butch” or possess many undesirable characteristics that a male athlete may in fact have. In the video presented however, the images show quite the opposite displaying these females as “sex objects” to be looked at rather than the story explaining their athletic ability. Weak, passive and easily swayed are three words which have been used to describe female athletes in the past. (Reference) These females are seen as the additions to the sport rather than participating in it themselves.This idea stems from the very traditional role which males have played within sport throughout the years. Male athletes have always been represented as strong, fit and fast individuals who possess many athletic skills and abilities which far surpass those of any women. Furthermore, the traditional roles that females have played within sport in many regards have a significant importance as a public health issue. Traditionally, sport has been seen to deal with many avenues regarding masculinity rather than femininity for female athletes. To this day, the participation rates and active involvement of females within sport and how they are represented in the media is improving however many females athletes are the target of such criticism dealing with the underlying discourses which are placed upon them in the media. One of the biggest issues within this topic is the idea of exactly how the media does represent these women in sport. Many female athletes still to this day, professional or not, struggle with finances and face numerous challenges with funding and support for a variety of what are considered “male sports”. One interesting thing to note is that due to the fact that the involvement of females within sport is much lower than the individuals who are male, females still feel the need to maintain the traditional beliefs and values that surround them and their own sport. In a modern world, sport in many regards supplies a base for many different gender identities to be constructed in many different forms. This leads to the society associating particular sports which females may participate in to believe that these sports and the participation in them have strong links to masculinity. (Connell, R.W 2008)

**LITERATURE REVIEW** I n relation to this topic and the evidence which it provides that this is a common public health issue, it is vital to note and has been documented that sport itself does actually maintain an influencing role in supporting inequalities to do with gender throughout years past. It has most importantly influenced how women in particular are viewed within the public eye and how women are now seen as objects of sex for the male reader or viewer to comment upon. This has ultimately been brought more into the limelight due to the media’s obsession and the role which they play in portraying women in sport. Over the last ten years or so, many mixed messages have been delivered about the role in which women are seen within a particular sport. Savard, J (2011) believes that “Men //have greater upper-body strength than women, so, for the same reason that major-league sports attract more interest than minor-league sports, it's not surprising.// Furthermore, Savard goes onto explain that men are more intrigued by the actual contest which sport provides. It provides these men with contests which seem to be more interesting due to the physical prowess they display. In hindsight, men are more likely to consider them meaningful and worthwhile than women are. During times of historical significance and during the Victorian era, it was considered extremely normal for men and women to be separated for many good reasons to force each sex into different gender roles and social roles respectively. This issue in particular did provide more of a struggle for females during this time and this issue for society during this time seemed to affect and ultimately influence the ideas of gender roles within sport. This inequality during these years provides an insight into why individuals who are male within sport are most certainly favoured more within sport than the individuals who are female. In relation to women in sport in particular it is important to take a step back in time and understand that gender inequalities within sport to do with females are in deed extremely common and highly prevalent. Throughout the years, these ideas surrounding gender inequalities have become socially constructed ideas and still hold strong in society today. These influence societies behaviour, attitudes and beliefs and ultimately effect how much time and effort is put into promoting women in sporting roles. One such historical event which propelled this issue more and more into the spotlight was the historical movement to do with women. During this time, as women became more and more vocal about their own beliefs and ideas, it provided the public the opportunity to judge more and more women based upon what they are saying. At this time, it was noted that women who participated in sport played their own femininity at risk and also placed the idea of becoming a mother in risk as well. (Arnott ,I.E 2008) Due to the women's movement, women were becoming seen in the spotlight so the appearance which they were displaying became a topic of scrutiny for the public eye. over the years due to the success of many female athletes, the gender inequalities for females has improved slightly but there still is a long road to travel. Members of the public and society as a whole have accepted these ideas from years past and it has formed a very negative image for women who participate in sport. In many ways, current analysis and discussions to do with the prevalence of increased gender based discrimination within sport does in fact match the ideas to do with gender inequalities and the traditional stereotyping which took place in years past. One of the main misconceptions about females within sport is that the main issue which causes negative connotations for these females is the low interest rate within the sport. This issue however, could be considered the very smallest of issues for these females as the main public health issue is that of women being degraded, under represented and marginalized as “something to look at” or be portrayed in a certain light by society. These interpretations stem from what was previously mentioned within the Victorian times and still hold strong today as many females feel that they must look a certain way to become successful and ultimately noticed. Throughout time, women have indeed made an outstanding contribution to sport throughout the country of Australia and abroad. <span style="color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 90%; text-align: justify;">One negative aspect that pulls a shadow across these achievements however is the limited media coverage of the athletes succeeding in their chosen sport. In the media, compared to men’s sport, women are represented just as they are in the presented artefact provided. They are seen as delicate, passive and weak compared to that of their “true” athlete male counterparts. In hindsight, the media has dutifully placed these derogatory thoughts and ideas in the minds of society and being the society that we are, people just have accepted these terms and beliefs without a second thought. This however is not only a serious problem within an Australian context but also abroad. In many countries across the globe, men receive more sponsorship money and thus increased media coverage. Take for example the Indian Premier League Cricket. These men have been paid up to one million dollars a year to play their sport and have received never ending media coverage. If a female was to partake in something like this, she would be lucky to get one thousand dollars for participating. In relation to the selected artefact, it portrays women in the media to be symbolized a certain way and society just accepts that they are like this within their sport. For men, they are very much within the media represented as the stronger, faster, fitter athlete who shows much dominance over his competitors and females respectively. Therefore it is not surprising with the ways in which the media is portraying women in sport, it really is not hard for society to agree with this assumption that females should not participate in sport for this very reason. (Connell, R.W et al)

<span style="display: block; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 90%; text-align: justify;">It is correct to say that the media is solely responsible for ensuring these small ideologies by providing these female athletes with a chance to gain a reward and thus more media coverage by having a particular appearance which follows the image of femininity which they are trying to promote. By a female athlete agreeing to something like a photo shoot or a video, this allows for more media coverage of that athlete thus increasing sponsorship as well. This modelling or extra work taken on by these female athletes provides them with secure finances and in many regards makes them standout from the average female athlete trying to make it big within her chosen sport. In addition, Savard (2001) explains that “while women should be respected for their talents and abilities in the workplace, in the arts and even in athletics, expecting full parity in the athletic field is unrealistic”. This supports that equality within sport involving women is actually a recognized issue as many people believe that females who are attractive within any sport are indeed portrayed in ways that highlight how attractive they actually are. Take beach volleyball for example. They are made to wear small, tight fitting clothes and as they are professional athletes possess a toned, lean body. In many regards things such as uniform and clothing options heighten this idea of female athletes being sexualised symbols looking good for the viewer. The media once again reinforces these interpretations and ultimately influence societies view on this issue as a whole. Kane and Greendorfer (1994) highlight this idea in an interesting light. They believe that by portraying these women as sex objects for the male viewer, it deters from the fact that they are actually in fact extremely successful athletes with a momentous amount of skill. It undermines their athlete achieves and their physical beauty rises to the forefront to be judged and discussed. <span style="color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 90%; text-align: justify;">It is important to note that women who actively engage in and who are interested in something like the mainstream media content such as reality television and weight loss shows such as the Biggest Loser and Eat Yourself Sexy Australia actually offer much stronger support of the stereotypes that in fact represent women as sexualised objects. The media and these shows in particular to name just a few, also place much importance on how a female is actually portrayed aesthetically. In relation to the chosen artefact, immense pressure is actually placed upon women most of the time to maintain this “beautiful” appearance. This alone creates much of a debate and the old saying holds strong, can you define beauty? For each woman, this meaning or “definition” is something very different. For women in sport, the representations of gender are in fact swayed by the sport in which these females participate in. this is one thing that the chosen artefact explores. The women in the video participate in all different sports but the ways in which they are actually portrayed (modelling) and so forth, leaves the viewer guessing what sport this female athlete actually plays or even if the female posing does in fact play a sport at all. Representing women in this way tells society that women are only good for how they appear and in fact these depictions of female athletes are not empowering in any way shape or form.

<span style="color: #28189d; display: block; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 180%; text-align: center;">**CULTURAL AND SOCIAL ANALYSIS** <span style="display: block; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; text-align: justify;">In regards to social theory and ideas surrounding philosophy, feminist analysis of the roles in which women play in sport are crucial in understanding why different representations across different genders is evident. One such example of this is Marxist feminism. This in many regards highlights how inequalities to do with gender originate from ideas and beliefs to do with the concept of capitalism. More specifically in relation to the topic of women in sport within the media, it deals with how the socially constructed ideas surrounding class race, gender and finances all effect the eventual outcome for the female athlete. Furthermore, delving deeper into the Marxist feminist culture, tradition and beliefs, it can be stated that men in deed have control and or dominance over the ‘means of production” this highlighting that women have less financial income to actively participate in sport compared to their male counterparts. This in turn is due to the fact that many females are seen to have no time to actively engage themselves in physical activity as the stereotypical image of “domestic carer” or in many cases caring for friends and family are often seen as the only thing which these women are responsible for in their own lives. Furthermore, the theories behind the Marxist feminist beliefs do in fact not mention that women in sport and their participation in this has recently increased throughout the years. (Burke, M 2001) <span style="display: block; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; text-align: justify;">Numerous surveys have been conducted with female athletes who participate in male dominated sports and the results were interesting to note. These females all agreed that they in deed enjoyed the physical aspect of the sport; they love the competitiveness and ultimately were interested in the aggressive nature in the sport which they were playing. On the other hand, another feminist approach argues that not all females within sport like this and that each athlete shares and experiences a different experience each time when playing a particular sport. A theorist, Connell, supports the above idea and states that using something like this form of feminism for female athletes within a sport may allow females to be aggressive within their chosen sport thus allowing for the challenging of traditional gender roles to be challenged. He also mentions that this competitiveness may take away concern for the female athlete for how they actually look due to the fact that they are solely focused on the task at hand not how they are presented aesthetically. Connell's ideas and beliefs support why there has not yet been a complete change in relation to the traditional ideologies surrounding gender and the dominance of the individual who is male within sport in our society. (Connell, R.W 2008) <span style="display: block; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; text-align: justify;">One way that this gender inequality issue can be sorted is to get more females actively participating in sport. This allows for a positive message to be sent out and as more and more females participate, this will display and ultimately challenge the traditional and somewhat old fashioned ideas and beliefs to do with ideologies relating to gender within sport. The information above surrounding the ideas to do with gender inequality in sport and the theories and literature which relate to this topic does still suggest that women are still scrutinized within the media and are a hot topic when it comes to the representation of gender roles within sport. As time as gone on however, the increase and positive awareness of increased participation rates has allowed for females to gain much deserved recognition in many sports. In addition, as more and more female athletes come to the forefront for their athletic ability and sporting prowess, this would encourage others as this positive participation will allow for women to actively challenge these gender stereotypes placed upon them and ultimately it will allow for gender equality in the sporting world today.

<span style="color: #28189d; display: block; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 180%; text-align: center;">**ARTEFACT ANALYSIS AND OWN LEARNING PERCEPTIONS** <span style="display: block; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; text-align: justify;">In researching this topic of the portrayal of women in sport within the media I found it rather upsetting and highly demeaning that professional athletes who are in fact female feel that to be successful they must appear sexy or model in a photo shoot or commercial that they may not want to. They feel compelled to make themselves an sexualised object of desire in many regards and they feel like this will gain them the positive attention which they crave. When discussing this topic with fellow PUB209 (health culture and society) students, I found it rather interesting the different opinions that my peers had on this topic. One student told me that these women have actually brought this negative portrayal upon themselves and that the media is responsible for heightening the idea of these females who appear to be sexualised objects of desire. In many regards, sport has and always be a hot topic of conversation and of heated debates. Upon researching this topic, the literature supports the idea that women are under represented within the media in sport and that they are very much the target in which inequalities to do with gender arise. As an athlete myself, I feel upset that this equality is not getting fixed sooner. <span style="display: block; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"> As a cricketer who has played at a high level, I have dreams to pursue a professional career in this but due to the gender inequalities and payment; many female athletes who play cricket at a much higher level have to have more than one job to sustain them. Many females drop out as they know that playing cricket professional for Queensland and even the very top of the ladder, their country, will not allow them to make enough money to support themselves. This fact alone is a very degrading and upsetting prospect for people like myself who want to play at such a high level. This right here is a personal experience of the gender inequalities within sport to do with females as if this was a male cricketer, he would be able to play cricket all year round being paid up to half of a million dollars without the financial stress that the females face. Overall the extent to which these ideas to do with gender inequalities is ultimately placed into societies hand in relation to fixing the problem ore not. Over time, it must be acknowledged that it is getting better but it is an unknown terrain as to what new challenges and problems to do with the constructs of gender women face. It is slowly improving and one day; in the near future, a women will be offered a one million dollar contact with one the most known teams or participate in one of the highest paying events in sporting history just like her male training partner has done for years before her. As a recommendation to portray women positively in the media and in sport respectively, I believe the first step is ensuring strong grass roots and learning and active engagement in a sport. this small yet significant step shows females in particular that sport is a positive lifestyle choice and if chosen from a young age, will be continued throughout primary school and teenage years. This ultimately sets up life long health and fitness which promotes positive self image and awareness of one's own individual fitness, health and wellness.

<span style="color: #28189d; display: block; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 180%; text-align: center;">**REFERENCE LIST** Arnott, I.E. (2008). Marxist or Feminist Approaches to Sports Management Are There Traitsin A Modern Days Society. //International Business Research, 4(1), 19-24.// Retrieved from http://ccsenet.org/journal/index.php/ibr/article/view/799/779

Australian Sporting Commission (2010) Women Participating in Sport, Retrieved from www.aussport.gov.au

Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2011a). // Sports and physical recreation: A statistical overview, Australia, 2011: Adults Participation //. Retrieved from http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/Products/2F119C9289BDB079CA2578DC0001E45C?opendocument

<span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;">Bourdieu, P. (1986). The forms of capital. In J. Richardson (Ed. ), //Handbook of Theory and Research for the Sociology of Education// (pp. 241-258). New York, Greenwood Press. Burke, M. (2001). SPORT AND TRADITIONS OF FEMINIST THEORY. Retrieved on the 28th of October from http://wallaby.vu.edu.au/adt-VVUT/uploads/approved/adt-VVUT20040212.121335/public/01front.pdf

Connell, R.W & Messerschmidt, J.W (2005) Hegemonic Masculinity: Rethinking the Concept, // Journal of Gender and Society, 19 //(6), 829-859.

Kane, M. J. & Greendorfer, S. L. (1994). // The media’s role in accommodating and resisting stereotyped images of women in sport. // In P.J. Creedon (Ed.) Women, media and Sport: Challenging gender values, (28-44). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications

Grubb, M. V., & Billiot, T. (2010). Women sportscasters: Navigating a masculine domain.// Journal of Gender Studies, 19 //(1), 87-93 doi:10.1080/09589230903525460
Olson, K. (2010). How the Media Influences the Degradation of Women's Sports - KINE 323 Final Project [video file]. Retrieved on the 20th of October from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T3St-u5FYCk&feature=related

Savard, J. (2011, Oct 05). Gender plays role in sports. //Edmonton Journal,// pp. A.24. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/896649214?accountid=13380

Wolff, E. A., & Kaufman, P. (2010). Playing and protesting: Sport as a vehicle for social change.// Journal of Sport & Social Issues, 34 //(2), 154-175. doi:10.1177/0193723509360218
<span style="color: #28189d; display: block; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 180%; text-align: center;">**COMMENTS AND REFLECTIONS**