Stereotypes Of Women In Sports

2001 Words9 Pages
In the world we live in today, we have many gender stereotypes that have been ingrained into human minds. We have this idea that men are expected to be more athletic, aggressive, strong and competitive. Whereas women are thought of as being more passive, weak or soft. This criterion is based off of a very common outlook being engraved into society's minds. However, these stereotypes have been questioned and confronted by a great deal of people. Sports are a great example of gender stereotypes being present. Throughout time, women have overcome many challenges and setbacks through their powerful athletic abilities. Although these boundaries have shifted, stereotypes still exist is sports. This paper will discuss the many stereotypes that women…show more content…
Feminist theorists argue that "equal opportunity" for female athletes may actually mark a shift in the ideological hegemony of male dominance and superiority (Messner, 1988). Gender relations have changed throughout history as a result of communication between men and women within socially constructed limits and pressures. In society today, the performance of women in sports displays an honest journey to attain equality, control of their bodies, but doing so not outside constraints created by men's endeavours to claim power over women (Messner, 1988). Overall, feminist theorists believe that sport will continue to be an area in which women can continue to thrive and display their active abilities, being included in every sport that men perform (Messner, 1988). Stereotypes will continue to put a strain on women, but it is in their power to challenge these ideas and disregard male dominance (Messner, 1988). The topic of sports remains for a critical feminist theory to recognize the emergent contradictions in this system in order to inform a liberating social practice (Messner,…show more content…
Women may be shown in a negative light, in which they are passive and submissive. On the other hand, men are usually displayed as being more concerned with their occupations and more likely to be successful (Herek, 2014). Unfortunately, this has created a deeply rooted view in society's subconscious (Herek, 2014). The media can ultimately can curb inequality and disable any further development in beliefs. If the media began to display a more positive and accurate depiction of gender, we would start to see a more authentic perspective among both men and

More about Stereotypes Of Women In Sports

Open Document