Unit four: Femininity versus Feminism and Beyond

10 Biggest Ideas:

1.     Differences between men and women physically and psychologically- Men and women can be seen as two different species, with no similar characteristics. Men are seen as superior to society, while women are seen as inferior.

2.     American values vs. reality- The belief that each of us should be judged as an individual and not defined by group membership (man or woman). Sadly, women and men are judged on their gender and identity, and the American values are not always held in society.

3.     Denial of gender inequality- This is such a problem in society. There is a clear divide in gender in so many things, and many inequalities that come with the divide.

4.     Dividing sports by sex- Women’s sports have been seen as second-class, because of how much more popularity comes with men’s sports and men’s athletes. I always wonder what would happen if there was not a divide. Men might realize how strong a woman athlete really is.

5.     Social cohesion- We need a more social cohesive society. This type of society works towards the well-being of all its members, no matter your race, class, gender, etc.

6.     Empowerment of women- Not only in sports, but also in society, such as more political and economic rights.

7.     Media stereotypes- The media can give off terrible stereotypes and images of women and men. It can dehumanize an individual in every way.

8.     Feminism- Feminism has changed drastically in the world, slowly, but surely, in such things like sports.

9.     “Images that injure”- This is such a powerful line. Whether it’s in the media, on the web, or magazine, images can injure a person’s self-esteem, mind-set, and well-being. The media can put out unrealistic images or messages on how you are supposed to act and look if you are a specific gender. The media usually only covers if you identify as a man or woman, which is certainly not right.

10.  Binaries- Our society needs to get rid of the binaries that we hold in our minds. For example, there are not just two genders. Just because you are a male, does not mean you are masculine, and just because you are a female, does not mean you are feminine.

*This unit deals with the how the media, traditional American values, and stereotypes can lead to inequalities between men and women in such things like sports. Our society needs to get rid of the idea of a gender binary, and become a more socially cohesive society. *

Scholarly Research Analysis Protocol:

Journal of Sport & Social Issues: Hoop Dreams: Professional Basketball and the Politics of Race and Gender

What structural features define this text as falling within the genre of scholarly/ academic writing? (Create a bulleted list.)

·      Scholarly authors

·      Scholarly interviews

·      Athlete interviews and quotes

What is the argument statement of this text?  (Write one sentence.)

The argument is that WNBA athletes are rhetorically marked as a return to the game, and such problems including access to funding, media exposure, and general credibility as a sport are all happening due to gender. These women basketball players are being glamorized not because of their skill, but by their bodies, and are not taken seriously enough, compared to the NBA.

Identify the jargon of this text. [Jargon is specialized terminology characteristic of a particular discipline or area of theory.]  (Use bullets.)

·      “hang-time” abilities – page 410

·      slam dunks

·      wonder woman theory – page 414

What are five statements that the author uses to support the argument statement?

1) “The inevitable comparison between the WNBA and the NBA, a comparison that is made ostensibly on the grounds of athletic ability but is really much more about the intersection of race and gender in professional sports,”(404).

2) “The WNBA has been consistently compared with the NBA and, almost as consistently, it has been found lacking in the areas of particular kinds of athletic skill,”(410). This is pretty much saying women are good athletes, but could never play like the NBA players.

3) “The WNBA athletes have had to “prove” to the fans and their sponsors that they are “worthy” of the game. Part of their strategy has been to challenge the rules of the game: The WNBA plays with a smaller ball than the NBA, the lanes are narrower…” (411) The list continued with just a bunch of excuses. It seems to disgust some men that women basketball players could have any similarities to men basketball players. Sorry NBA, you’re playing the same game as the WNBA.

4) “The public recognition of individual female athletes attends much more to their feminine beauty and objectified status as particular kinds of commodities than to their athletic skill,” (411). This tells us that women athletes are being watched sexually, rather than athletically. 

5) “Establishing the WNBA players’ commitment to being feminine, and an explicit argument against the history of female athletes, who were so often criticized for their distinctly unfeminine qualities, such as muscularity and athletic skill,”(413).

What values or views were represented in the message? (Write no more than three sentences.)

Some values or views that were represented in the reading was how WNBA athletes had to reassure fans that although they do not dress as girly as ice-skaters, they are in fact feminine beings. The reading shows how much gender and identity matters as an athlete, and the comparison between the WNBA and NBA.

UNIT FOUR- STEP ONE:

            This video was eye-opening to me, and brings up great points on the dominant construction of the feminine in sports. As you are growing up, there is this idea that if you are a male and not an athletic male, you lose your masculinity. When you lose your masculinity, you are characterized as being feminine.  On the other hand, if you are a female and play sports, it makes you less feminine, and more masculine. In the Dave Zirin video, he stated how some men believed sports would make women “insane”, and they would lose their feminine features as a woman.

            In the video, men thought that women who were riding bikes would be a threat to social order. Men believed that riding a bike would give women a “bicycle face”, which meant a pale complexion. Men wanted women to just stay at home and be mothers and housewives. Men were the ones who got to do leisure activities outside the home, like riding a bicycle. This type of leisure activity was not mean for a woman.

            It was thought to be unnatural and un-American for women to play sports, such as basketball. Women were not supposed to be rough or show aggressive behavior, even if wearing dresses on the court. Men were supposed to stay manly, while women were supposed to stay womanly.  Running was also seen as not lady like.  Men felt it was too strenuous for the female form, and the woman’s 800-meter run was even banned for thirty years.  It is amazing on how far women and women athletes have come over the last seventy years, especially since the women’s movement. The women’s movement helped women brake out of traditional gender roles, and be more than just a housewife.

            Although we have come far in women’s sports, women’s bodies are still being sexualized. In the video, Zirin talks about ESPN covers, and how men were on the covers ninety-five percent of the time. If women were being presented in the media, it was not for their athletic abilities. Women would be promoted as swim suit models, cheerleaders, or props, rather than being promoted as serious athletes. There was and I believe still is a fixation on women’s bodies.

STEP TWO:

Kilbourne’s speech and video was excellent. She talks about how society’s expectations of women’s images, have gotten worse because of the media. Women’s bodies are being portrayed as things and/or as objects. Women are supposed to believe the most important thing in life is how we look. The media gives the world an unrealistic image of how a woman should look and act. Some examples given from the video included, no blemishes or pores, no stretch marks, no fat rolls, and other things that cannot be achieved. Advertising tells us that women should be skinny, flawless, have big boobs, wear make-up, and the list goes on. This is how advertising and the media define ideal beauty in women and girls.  Kilbourne mentions how women’s bodies are hacked apart at adolescence and are pressured to have physical perfection. The media tells us who we are and who we should be, with unrealistic images and expectations. Another way that the media has gotten worse is by how skinny models have to be to make it in the supermodel world. Kilbourne gave the example of a model that died of anorexia, weighing just around eighty pounds. Is this really a healthy portrayal for young girls to look up too? Some adolescents and other women may not realize that throughout all forms of media, Photoshop is used on the men and women models, to create “flawless” images, which are pretty much impossible for normal human beings to reenact.  This video has taught me some of the effects that medias images can give to the world, for both men and women, and how the media can create violence against women.

 

STEP THREE:

These two videos that included Maya Moore in one and Jennie Finch in the other, were very interesting! They are both such powerful women and athletes, on and off the field. There needs to be a greater recognition of female athletes, and female athletes need to start getting more spotlight that they deserve. Jennie Finch proves in her video that hitting a baseball is not the hardest thing to do in sports. She proves that the softball is actually the hardest thing to do, and that the other thoughts are just myths. She proves the myth, and proves that the softball creates a lot more force than a baseball does, in an experiment that she did. When she threw the softball, it generated much more force, and even broke the glass that she threw the ball at. In Maya’s video, it shows how high she can leap, and how great her court vision is. Her techniques are very impressive, compared to other WNBA AND NBA athletes.  She steals fast, passes fast, catches fast, and moves her hands 5.5 feet in 284 milla seconds, which is faster than a rattlesnake. Not only is Maya an amazing athlete, she also does amazing academically. She had a 3.7 grade point average, and was on the NCAA academic all American team. I never had even heard of these two amazing athletes, and this is problematic. The whole world should know about these two women, but women athletes are not getting the recognition in which they deserve. Male athletes are far more recognized and popularized by the public. I hope one day, women athletes will get more publicized, an appreciated for all they can do.

STEP FOUR:

I am so happy to see a girl born from the 21^st century showing so much power and courage. We need more confident young girls like Sam Gordon. I researched more on her and am adding a link that shows just a few of her skills. In the article it tells us some of the ways that sports can be a mechanism to improve society. “Before Title IX, one in thirty-four girls played sports; now it’s one in three.” This is exciting to hear, and reminds me of how many female athlete stars we had from my school. The Olympian star, Elizabeth Beisel went to my school, and show how anything is possible, especially coming from a small town and state. Sports can be a mechanism to improve society because with participation of sports, studies have show that there is “an increase in confidence, a lessening likelihood of eating disorders and abusive relationships, and greater defense against the relentless shrapnel of sexism aimed at young teenage woman.” Sports have shown woman and proven to the world that women are just as capable as men of playing and excelling in sports. Women are able to be seen as strong, powerful, and athletic.

STEP FIVE:

Mo’ne is absolutely an amazing young girl! I cannot believe the courage, strength, and bravery she has as a young girl playing such a competitive sport with boys. She lets nobody intimidate her, and continues to play the sports that she loves to play. In the article, it stated, “She’s not self-conscious at all. She doesn’t get too high or too low and nothing fazes her, as people are seeing. And she’s all about the team, which is why her teammates love her." Mo’ne has been able to prove that it’s possible to play with the boys, and even dominate in every sport. She is now been a national phenomenon, and on the cover of a Sports Illustrated.  She has been able to overcome being a female athlete and being black.  I believe Mo’ne Davis will continue to succeed as an athlete, and continue to get bigger and bigger. She has already proven her skills as a female athlete at such a young age, and she will just keep on advancing as she ages. Something I noticed while looking at the various website features, was that most of the articles were about males.  All the links that I went through were based on a male athlete, and not a female athlete, which I found interesting.