Women in Sports - Essay Example

?Women in sports/Olympics Participation of women in Olympics and other sports activities requires serious attention from the part of researchers as well the public in recent years. It is a part of common knowledge is that the participation of ancient Olympics Games was limited to men athletes only. Observing the historical background of women participation in sports, one can feel that number of countries in the world, and in all phase of history, women played a considerable, often marginal role in traditional sports activities (Hartmann-Tews & Pfister, 1). Variety of factors like social system, gender discrimination, influence of male dominating society, and feeble female representation in sports and other physical activities promote reasons for poor female participation in ancient Olympics. Women participation in sports/Olympics Considering the historical background of women participation in Olympics, it is obvious that women have enjoyed nominal representation in ancient games. As Barbara L. Drinkwater comments; “Although the modern Olympic Games actually began in 1896, women were not permitted to participate” (Drinkwater & International Federation of Sports Medicine xi). Research professionals consider Amsterdam Olympics as a special one. This Olympics achieved international attention because of its women representation. In this game a female participant had won the gold medal in the Olympics history. Betty Robinson Schwartz is considered as the first female gold winner in Olympics. In Amsterdam Olympics, she created a new history in track and field (Zabell). Women folk have faced severe discrimination from the part of authorities and male community. Historical studies prove that the patriarchal society never ready to accept the achievements of women in Olympics and other ceremonies. In 396 B.C. Olympics, Kyniska, a Spartian princess, won an Olympic chariot race, but she is banned from accumulating her prize in person (Anthony & suffragist). The problem of social attitude towards women participation in some sports items contributes supplementary causes for poor female representation. In case of boxing, it is clear that the game requires higher level of physical fitness and it is more stereotypically supposed for men. Boxing constitute a psychological as well a physiological pace in which tension and emotional frustrations can be revealed through the use of ropes and corner posts (Scott & Conover 40). Lack of opportunities for women in participating sports programs plays a vital role in the process of lowering women participation in sports and games.“Furthermore, in many countries women have scarcely any opportunity of taking a sport in their leisure time” (Drinkwater & International Federation of Sports Medicine 17). Another important thing is that the society always treat woman as secondary to man. People never ready to admit women participation in sports. Female’s sports participation turns down more speedily with age than does that of male, and is more vulnerable to the impact of family and domestic responsibilities than men (Houlihan 92). Considerable changes have been remarked in the field of women participation in Olympics. A kind of gradual development in female participation in sports events and other physical activities. In 1900 Parris Olympics two items were included for women. The period from 1976 t0 88 was recorded by active women representation in sports and games (Lam & Chang 153). After that International Olympic Council (IOC) revived its manual and ensures active female representation in sports and games without gender discrimination. At present, women participates all sports items. In case of athletics, gymnastics, chess, and boxing, female candidates ensure higher level performance. In 1912 Stockholm Olympics, forty two women from nine countries were participated in swimming (Woolum 39). The concept of women participation in boxing is a part of recent innovation. As a physical activity that typically deemed for men, women participation in boxing shows a poor performance. The web article entitled The Triple Gender Task of Women in Men-Dominated Fields rightly remarks; “The acceptance of women in boxing gyms is a very recent innovation, and is not widespread internationally” (The Triple Gender Task of Women in Men-Dominated Fields). Parris Olympics in 1900 paved the way for female participation in sports and games and after that a large number of female athletes and sports participants have made notable achievements in sports. Today, women candidates show a magnificent performance in gymnastics, swimming, athletics, and other games items. Shannon Miller in the United States earned seven Olympics medal in Gymnastics (Remedia Publications 17). Women participants enjoy equal opportunities in various games like tennis, cricket, volleyball, beach ball and basketball. African American wome like Jackie Joyner Kersee, Florance Griffith Joyner,Sheryl Swoopes and Lisa Lesili have made brilliant records in Olympic history (Ebony 74). Media Perception of women in sports/Olympics Media plays a vital role in creating social and gender perspectives on women participation in sports and Olympics. It is significant to notice that media always reflect existing social attitude towards the issue of female representation in sports. Analyzing the history of media coverage on sports events, one can comprehend the fact that women received only a small amount of the media coverage that men received. Sexual objectification and sarcasm acted as powerful obstacles. Arthur A. Raney and Jennings Bryant state; “Viewers were left with the impression that women in sports were laughable and that they belonged in the bedroom, not on the playing field” (Raney & Bryant 255). One of the major problems that exist in the field of media coverage on women sports is that people were not aware of women sports and sports achievements. Women and sports with a poor media profile always failed to gain sponsors (NSW Sports and Recreation). Generally accepted views about women folk provide contributory causes for segregated media representation in women sports. It is obvious that, Women were frequently identified as being also feeble for sporting events, predominantly endurance sports, like marathons, weightlifting and cycling. Similarly, it was often argued in the history that sport and other physical activities were damaging to women’s health, mostly their reproductive health (United Nations Division for the Advancement of Women Department of Economic and Social Affairs). In spite of this, Media made a conscious effort in creating difference in media coverage on sports. “Excellence in sports has been narrowly defined in male sporting competitions” (Weaving 130). New changes in the field of women participation in sports /Olympics Considerable changes have been reported I the field of women participation in sports and games. In 1984 Loss Angeles Olympics, women participants have marked a strong performance in track and field. In that Olympics, women basket ball and volleyball teams won gold and silver medals (Ebony 172). New comers from the field of women sports perform their willingness to engage sports programs. Women from new generation consider sports and games representation as a part of their social status. All athletes especially in women athletes consider the Olympic game is one of the greatest and simple way for getting appreciation and credit from their society. Janet Woolum makes clear this view by saying; “For nearly a century, the Olympics have been the primary way for women athletes to receive recognition for their achievements as well as to take part in international competition” (Woolum 35). In 2004 Athens Olympics, women participated record number of sports and events (27and 135) and deserved for more than 400 medals in various items (Bruce, Hovden & Markkula). It is evident that ancient Olympics and other sports activities have given nominal representation for women in various sports events. Women have faced the issue of gender discrimination in participating sports and games. Present status of women participation in Olympics shows the sign of development. Media played a vital role in the process of creating public perspectives on women participation in sports /Olympics. In the last two decades, women participation in sports and games has reached desirable status. Female athletes and players marked their name in various fields such as athletics, gymnastics, swimming, and games. Works Cited Anthony, Susan B., suffragist. History of Women in Sports Timeline. 1896. Web. 24 May 2011. http://www.northnet.org/stlawrenceaauw/timeline.htm Bruce, Tony., Hovden, Jorid & Markkula, Pirkko. Sportswomen at the Olympics. Sense Publishers. 2010. Web. 24 May 2011. https://www.sensepublishers.com/files/9789460911071PR.pdf Drinkwater, Barbara L., International Federation of Sports Medicine. Women in sport, Volume 8. Illustrated edn. Wiley-Blackwell, 2000. Print. Ebony. Johnson Publishing Company. Oct 1984. Vol. 39, (12). Print. Ebony. Johnson Publishing Company. Mar. 2002. Vol. 57. (5). Print. Hartmann-Tews, Ilse., Pfister, Gertrud. Sport and women: social issues in international perspective.Illustrated edn. Routledge, 2003. Print. Houlihan, Barrie. Sport and society: a student introduction. Illustrated edn. SAGE, 2003. Print. Lam, S. F., Chang, Julian W. The quest for gold: fifty years of amateur sports in Hong Kong, 1947-1997. Illustrated edn. Hong Kong University Press, 2006. Print. NSW Sports and Recreation. Media Coverage of Women in Sport, n.d. Web. 24 May 2011. http://www.dsr.nsw.gov.au/assets/pubs/industry/info_mediawomen.pdf Remedia Publications. Celebrity Readers: Famous Female Sports Stars. Remedia Publications, n. d. Print. Raney, A., Bryant, Jennings. Handbook of sports and media. Illustrated edn. Routledge, 2006. Print. Scott, David H. T., Conover, Roger. The art and aesthetics of boxing. Illustrated edn. U of Nebraska Press, 2008. Print. The Triple Gender Task of Women in Men-Dominated Fields. n. d. Web. 24 May 2011. http://www.stanford.edu/~eparadis/ep_tripletask.pdf United Nations Division for the Advancement of Women Department of Economic and Social Affairs. Women, gender equality and sport. United Nations Division for the Advancement of Women Department of Economic and Social Affairs. Dec. 2007. Web. 24 May 2011. http://www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/public/Women%20and%20Sport.pdf Woolum, Janet. Outstanding women athletes: who they are and how they influenced sports in America. 2nd illustrated edn. Greenwood Publishing Group, 1998. Print. Weaving, Charlene. Philosophical perspectives on gender in sport and phyiscal activity. Taylor & Francis, 2009. Print. Zabell, Martin. Racing Back Through Time: First Female Gold Medalist Comes Home. Chicago Tribune. 27 Sep.1992. Web. 24 May. 2011. http://www.riverdale.lib.il.us/Community/BettyRobinson/racingback.html Read More