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Gender inequality in sport
Women in sports quick summary
Gender inequality in sport
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The Williams Sisters: double trouble on the tennis court, Gabby Douglas: 2 times Olympic Gold Medalist, and Lolo Jones: a fierce Olympic competitor in hurdles and now bobsledding are all present day athletes that have captivated headlines with their accomplishments through sports. The Civil Rights Movement altered everyday life for all African Americans and soon other minorities in America. The movement also changed the world of sports for African American legends to come as well. Previous accomplishments of African Americans in sports propelled Althea Gibson to make her mark in history. Althea would change the world of sports, impact future athletes to come, and leave her mark in history. Her athletic greatness would not only be bestowed on the tennis court, but golfy would receive its fair share of Althea’s greatness as well. None of her accomplishments would have been made possible without the Civil Rights Movement that allowed African Americans to enter the world of sports. African Americans entered the world of sports in the early 1900s when the first African American Olympian became a gold medal, Constantin Henriquez de Zubiera. He won a gold medal in rugby (Bosanac). Not only did the early 1900s open the door for African Americans, but women would also begin to infiltrate into sports as well. Women would be allowed to play in the Olympics; however, they were only allowed to play golf, tennis, and croquet. Only 19 women qualifiers made it through to the first Olympics with women participants (Bosanac). Before Althea Gibson, Margaret Ives Abbott was the first to win the singles tournament for tennis, foreshadowing Althea Gibson’s legacy to come (Schwartz). “She also won gold the 1900 Olympic games in golf just like Althea soo... ... middle of paper ... ...as someone before you that pushed for women to be able earn an education, for brothers and sisters of all colors to be friends, dreams of becoming a millionaire and following your dreams were all made possible by someone who was not afraid to challenge society and the task at hand that so many others feared to test. Who made your dream possible? Work Cited Bosanac, Alexandra. "Breaking Barriers." National Post. 04 May. 2013: A.24. SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 16 Apr. 2014. Matthews, Glenna. "Gibson, Althea." American Women's History: A Student Companion. Dec. 1 2000: n.p. SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 16 Apr. 2014. Hightower, Kyle. "Female Athletes Pushing the Boundaries of Sports." Orlando Sentinel (Orlando, FL). 02 Jul. 2005: n.p. SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 23 Apr. 2014. "Althea Gibson Broke Barriers." ESPN. ESPN Internet Ventures, n.d. Web. 15 May 2014.
Shoemaker, Nancy. “ Native-American Women in History.” OAH Magazine of History , Vol. 9, No. 4, Native Americans (Summer, 1995), pp. 10-14. 17 Nov. 2013
*Evelyn Brooks Higginbotham. "African American Women's History and the Metalanguage of Race" in Feminism and History, ed. Joan Wallach Scott (NY: Oxford University Press, 1996), 201.
Sklar, Kathryn Kish. “Hull House in the 1890’s: A Community of Women Reformers.” In Women and Power in American History, 3rd edition, edited by Kathryn Kish Skylar and
...eaven for many blacks as their performances proved they are no different from their white counterparts. Not only did they rally white troops from their athletic performances, they were able to do so from their voices and personal life. They began to voice their displeasure through various media outlets. Their public outcry to end social injustice and race based discrimination came started to become a popular topic of discussion all over the country. They took a stand and were rewarded for their actions as race based discrimination is abolished and blacks have the same status as whites. Black athletes are becoming more and more recognizable all over the world as some become the faces of their sports. Sports came as a form of entertainment for many, but for black athletes it ended up being the most treasured source to reconstructing their race’s lives in America.
Eggleston, Larry G. Women in the Civil War. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland & Company, Inc., 2003. Print.
Wright, Contributed By Catherine M. Women during the Civil War. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Apr. 2017.
In 1970 only 1 in 27 girls participated in high school sports, today that ratio is 1 in 3. Sports are a very important part of the American society. Within sports heroes are made, goals are set and dreams are lived. The media makes all these things possible by creating publicity for the rising stars of today. Within society today, the media has downplayed the role of the woman within sports. When the American people think of women in sports, they think of ice skating, field hockey and diving. People don’t recognize that women have the potential to play any sport that a Man can play, with equal skill, if not better.
Specifically during the Gilded Age, African Americans, women and the lower-class were all discriminated against in sporting arenas just as they have been in every aspect of American society. Unfortunately early on in the Gilded Age, sports clearly showed the "significant under-representation among key equality and diversity groups in society"(http://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/era.cfm?eraid=9). However, as sports became more popular, Americans came to the realization that there were barriers that needed to be broken between minorities, women and different social-classes. Changing the face of America, the history of sports started off from being games played primarily for entertainment and leisure, to creating equality amongst everyone. The history of sports has been marked by division and discrimination but also has affected modern popular culture and changing social attitudes and standards towards gender equality, social-class and race.
Katz, Marilyn. "History and Feminist Theory." History and Theory. Wesleyan University: Wiley, 1992. . Print.
Moran, Mickey. “1930s, America- Feminist Void?” Loyno. Department of History, 1988. Web. 11 May. 2014.
The pioneering women who showed the public that they were capable of crossing gender boundaries in sports have demonstrated that gender stereotypes in sports are not necessarily accurate. While ideas about masculinity are just as difficult to topple as ideas about femininity, the first public athletes have opened door of opportunity for females and have forced everyone to rethink stereotypes about gender and sports.
French, Katherine L., and Allyson M. Poska. Women and Gender in the Western past. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin, 2007. Print.
In some places, women are shamed for portraying athletic, “manly traits,” which influences female’s participation in sports. Today, an outbreak of feminism has pushed woman to go beyond their stereotypes of the traditional female excel in sports that emphasize muscle strength, skill, and ability that in the past seemed out of their capabilities. For example, the National Women’s Soccer Team recently won the World Cup and are currently dominating women’s soccer. On the other hand, The United States men’s soccer team has not won as many tournaments(or cups for that matter) as their female counterparts have. Female athletes continue to break new records proving they deserve an equal opportunity next to men.
Whitaker, Matthew C.. African American icons of sport: triumph, courage, and excellence. Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press, 2008.
Throughout history, it is easy to recognize how African Americans have triumphed in sports. It is also enlightening and empowering to see and recognize the challenges that women faced in the past with achieving recognition in sports as compared to that of men.