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I'm one of the co-teachers of this course, already introduced on an earlier page of this website as a member of the Bryn Mawr College English Department and co-ordinator of the College's Feminist and Gender Studies Program. I was a high school cheerleader, and have swum 20+ years for fitness (whenever I can find the pool open). Although I never bet (this a Quaker principle), I am proud to report a recent game of "cosmic bowling" (ten pins and NOT alone) with a life-time high score of 179.
I learned a lot from last night's video about the history of women's sport in this country, and found myself moved to tears several times by its evolution. Found myself moved to skepticism, also, thinking about the limits of the sort of liberal feminism that impelled the Title IX innovations, intended to give women access to a sports culture that might better (in line w/ a more radical form of feminism)...be renovated to be less...competitive...revenue-oriented...star-focused/spectator-driven, more focused on life-long fitness...etc. etc. etc.
I guess I'm returning, w/ these musings, to last night's discussion: can we re-define what it means to be an athlete, so it is a category you'd be willing to put yourself in? Are Bryn Mawr and Smith women loathe to call themselves "athletes" because doing so would call into question their seriousness as scholars?
I'm looking forward to your responses to these questions.
Anne
History of Women's Sports Forum Question
1. write a brief bio so others in your forum may know something about you. Interests, major where you are from etc.
2. In the book, Women, Sport and Culture by Susan Birrel and Cheryl Cole they write:
"At the broadest level, the debate over Title IX and public policy has completely avoided questioning the sex-role polarization that sports creates and the long-held belief that sports is a masculine domain. Though social scientists and public policy makers are content to leave to philosophers and radical theorists any questions regarding the ultimate nature of the human experience, they do so at the cost of leaving a vacuum to be filled by the dominant cultural and institutional definitions that have been shaped by men's values, men's understandings of the world, and men's experiences. Women's alienation from sport, their indifference to it, and their reluctance to enter it stem in large measure from the fact that, as it has existed historically, what sport celebrated, what sport offered, what sport demanded, what sport rewarded do not reflect much of women's experience of the world"
Please comment.
I consider myself an athlete but perhaps not in a traditional sense. To an extent some people will accept Fitness and Body Building as an athletic sport since there is some competition involved. I think overall people are biased about the terms "athlete" and "sport", limiting themselves to what the mainstream lables a "sport" or an "athlete". Then again, doesn't that dilhemma seem to plague everyone and everything in almost every aspect!
I think that sports in general are still being "genderized" because many people do not want to recognize the Jungian shadow that still haunts us from years past.
Overall I find that women in general are not encouraged enough to do sports. Not only by society but by important role models like their mothers, siblings, friends, extended family, and many of the more highly profiled female role models. Unfortunately, even in this day in age each woman has to take it upon herself to take that first step and not be worried about how others will perceive her as an athlete. Many women are uncomfortable to participate or become interested in sports for fear of de-feminising themselves or just do not see any personal benefit for themselves to get interested or participate in sports.
In the rhelm of female body building there has been a shift in the judging standards. It has been said that the judges are now looking for a more "feminine look" in the competitors, and not have as much size and definition as in previous contests in years past.
One reason this was implemented was to attempt in making female bodybuilding more popular with spectators and perhaps get more contestants. I find many female bodybuilders and fitness contestants do not get the credit and admiration they deserve. To an extent they are looked at as freaks simply because they have put a lot of hard work into building up their muscles, and their effort is seen as not a big really a big deal. Again, I feel as though I really am taking it upon myself to persure this. My mother has been very supportive and encouraging, but I still get looks of concern from my extended family, especially the females.
Overall, I find that there is a great lack of understanding for women when it comes to sports and athletics and improving their health. Title IX opened many doors for us, but now we as women have to help and encourage more women to walk through them.
2. About Title IX, I think that we are still in the progressive stages. Title IX has opened a huge door for women but I still feel we have a long ways to go. Just because Title IX states that, "no person... on the basis of sex be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination..." does not guarantee that everyone will drop what they are doing to accododate this rule.
I do find it interesting how in some sports women fight for equality, and in other sports they accept the conditions. In gymnastics, mens' gymnastics has six events, and womens' gymnastics has four. Vault and floor overlap, the goal for a woman competing on floor is to combine her grace and elegance with her acrobatic ability. Her routine is done to music and she dances between each acrobatic move. Men on the other hand do not perform to music and their routine is built around showing power and strength. Men include static strength holds and are not concerned with the fluency of movement between skills. Men's events (i.e. still rings) are all based on strength and power, while women are expected to be "light on their feet" and elegant. But, these differences are accepted by men and women. Why is this?
I disagree with the reasons why women may not participate in sport. In the past that MAY have been true, but only because society taught women to believe such things. Today, I believe that women choose not to participate because there are other options for them. Also, to participate in sports at any level, there must be a genuine interest in the sport and a time commitment. You have to be happy with what you are doing in order to pursue it, and with all the other options for women out there, it is just as likely to be interested in playing a musical instrument as participating in soccer.
2. I do believe that, to some extent, sports lead to sex-role polarization, but that it definitely differs according to the particular sport. I feel that in sports like tennis, track, and swimming, attitudes toward female participants are much like those toward males. Just look at the Williams sisters--they are respected by men and women alike. I don't think there is one father alive who wouldn't be absolutely thrilled that his daughter(s) were extremely athletic tennis stars. Flo Jo and Jackie Joyner Kersey are two other examples of this point. I am not sure how to phrase it eloquently, but what I'm trying to say is that these women all have achieved as much muscularity and play as aggressively as any of the men in their sport and I do not think that they have had to compromise their sexuality.
On the other hand, I do feel that a woman competing in, say, wrestling or football, is often viewed as "butch" or masculine, right off the batt. I agree that a young girl who dreams of one day playing one of these sports may very well be deterred from achieving her goal and, if she does get to play, may be alienated amongst her presumably mostly masculine peers.
Overall, I would have to say I agree to a certain extent that women have been and continue to be alienated from and thus indifferent towards or reluctant to play sports. Predominately in team sports, where aggressiveness is often necessary, women are commonly frowned upon for being too "unladylike." Oppositely, when participating in such individual sports as swimming or tennis, where the traditional male camaraderie is not threatened or imposed upon, both men and women tend to view female athleticism a little more objectively. As long as there is no body-to-body contact, there doesn't seem to be a problem.
I don't think that is acceptable for a young girl or woman to claim that sports are not available to her, because they are. If we sit back and remain passive, settling for participation in only those sports which have been deemed "socially acceptable", then all the work of the women who came before us if for nothing. Instead, we must continue to push for MORE, using Title IX as our driving force. We need to spend more time teaching young girls that it is most important to believe in what you truly want to do and to not be squeezed into narrowly defined categories that were created in large part by the ignorant. The more women enter college and professional team sports, the more it will have to be accepted.
2.) Title IX has made women have the opportunity to participate in sports that they were not allowed to play. This enabled women to have a voice in sports and it also strengthened the female sex. Because of this, women strived even harder to be better than men. Just because Title IX was enforced, this does not mean that there is that much equality in women's sports today. I think that because of how times have changed, women have been more accepted. In today's society, inequality is still present, however women have proved that they can succeed in the sporting world just as well as their counterparts. I truly admire the women who fought for their right to be treated equally especially during the periods of time where men and women were not treated equally. I don't like how women had to be sophisticated and very conservative to an extent where they could not participate in sports that they wanted to play. I believe that everyone has the right to participate in anything redarding their gender and class, race
and sexual orientation.
2. For those who do believe dance is just as much a sport as basketball and tennis, the "long-held belief that sports is a masculine domain" falls short of the broadest definition of sports. While sports have historically been a male dominated field of interest, there are those activities that have been soley associated with women, such as dance. Therefore, while the arguement made in favor of Title IX is understandable and solid, there is an aspect of sports that is overlooked as female-dominated.
I really was moved be the documentary on Wednesday, I had goose bumps and tears in my eyes when it talked about the heroic women who made it possible for us to enjoy sports the way we do. I question Birrel and Cole's description of women being alienated from sports. My experience was anything but alienation or reluctance, and although my mom can't catch to save her life, I assumed it was just the era in which she grew up. Certainly, there aren't lots of female linebackers, but remember the immense popularity the women's soccer team enjoyed? Soccer is a demanding and grueling sport, and I remember when I watched their games I felt like I had missed my calling because you could really hit people in soccer and not worry about fouling out. They say also that sports have not reflected women's experiences in the world. Perhaps I am interpreting the comment too literally, but I don't think that sports reflect anyone's real experiences in the world, especially not anymore. Sports would not be as fun or popular if they were similar to our every day experiences. My high school only managed to abide by Title IX by counting every different type of cheerleading as a different sport. So although it has been passed, and is for the most part enforced and accepted, there are clearly ways around it. I also feel strongly that women at Bryn Mawr and Smith are no more or less likely to call themselves athletes because of emphasis on academics at our colleges. I always did better in school when I was playing a sport because I was forced to do my work and regulate my time. The women at these schools who play sports would be just as proud to call themselves as athletes as more of us were in high school. I think it is natural for there to be a drop off of the girls who play competetive sports in college. College is another level of skill and time commitment that some of us may not able to handle.
I'm curious to find out when Birrel and Cole wrote their book--what alienation from sport? What indifference and reluctance? Last night the women's snowboarding halfpipe was on TV, and it drew just as many viewers in my dorm as the men's tonight did. I see women entering the fitness/ sport arena with enthusiasm. Even if they begin working out or playing a sport because their parents push them to or in order to lose weight, the women who stick with it do so because they want to and are dedicated.
Finally, I think defining yourself as an athlete or not is a personal choice, sort of like calling yourself a feminist. It's not a label that anyone can put on another person without risking inaccuracy and superficiality.
In terms of Title IX, I believe that though no one can be excluded from any sport based on gender, certain prejudices in our society still exist in terms of men vs. women sports. Though both are supposedly equal now, male sports still seem to garner more interest as a whole. Though I was deeply moved by the video we watched last Wednesday, I can't deny that I get more of a rush and am more excited by watching an nba game than a wnba game. Though i am proud and inspired by women in professional sports, I feel that in today's society things can be supposedly "equal", but without the backing of the interest of the society as a whole, male and female will never truly seem equal in nature.
In terms of this weeks question, I too believe that although we have achieved a great victory with Title IX, men and women's athletic programs - collegiate and otherwise - will never be seen in the same light. I think this may be in part because women are not ecouraged to develope a career in sports. It is true that we have the WNBA, etc., but the money is not there for the women like it is for the male athletes. For example, most of the women in the WNBA hold down a regular job during off season. Most of these women do not have the luxury to just take a vacation because of money.
I found that the video was extremely interesting, but am sad to say that I hadn't previously heard of the majority of the women that the video focused on. I think that the main reason that I had not previously heard of most of the women in the video is that despite Title IX, Americans in general don't consider women's sports to be as exciting as men's. Many people still believe that women have less skill and less physical prowess. I remember being shocked and amused that people believed even until the 60's that a woman's uterus would fall out if she over-exerted herself. However, I believe that this line of thinking still exists in less extreme forms. There is still a general belief that women should not be "hurting themselves." For example, when one looks at the differences in rules between men's lacrosse and women's lacrosse. I think that we have come a long way since Title IX, but we still have a long way to go yet.