Gender and Sport Socialization Essay - 511 Words

Gender and Sport Socialization Socialization is a life long process whereby the individual learns the appropriate roles and norms of behaviour within a particular society. From birth, children are socialised into sex-linked roles; in many instances males are expected to behave in a ‘masculine’ way and are encouraged to be involved in activities, such as sport, that are traditionally regarded as male. Women however are usually expected to behave in a ‘feminine’ manner; a vast contrast to the encouragement of males to be strong, powerful, forceful and aggressive. This is reflected in women’s participation in sport, and more importantly, their coverage in the print media, which is minimal in comparison to their male counterparts.†¦show more content†¦The media’s â€Å"linking of the skill of key sports with maleness and the constant exposure of the public to this process, has the effect of inferiorising femaleness and female activities. By implication, it seems that w omen cannot do certain skilful things that the media value highly.† (Williams, Louise. ‘Silent Armies Storm the Last Male Bastion’. The Weekend Australia, February 16-17, 1985). Such examples include â€Å"†¦powerful tackles†¦impressive slam dunk†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ (The Age, 24/2/2001) which are viewed as predominately male skills, and an attribute women cannot compete with. Notions of femininity influence views about how girls should be. This can create conflict for girls who participate in sports that require ‘unfeminine behaviour’ and produce ‘unfeminine bodyshapes’. Women are depicted in the media in ways that reinforce the prevailing community attitudes and stereotypes about them. They are not viewed as strong, heroic figures to be idolised on the basis of their talent and sporting achievements. Rather in many cases, women’s coverage is on the basis of ‘sporting fashion’. A classic example of this being the extensive coverage of women’s fashion in the Australian Open tennis tournament recently held in Melbourne; Anna Kournicova becoming a symbol for women’s tennis due to herShow MoreRelatedGender Socialization Through Toys and Sports1147 Words   |  5 PagesGender Socialization through Toys and Sports In today’s society, there are many guidelines of how one should act and be. Gender socialization is the process where people take on notions of gender roles, gender ideas and gender behaviours. At an early age, boys and girls are told how to behave and act according to societal norms of gender behaviours and roles. The comparison of Jane Smiley’s article â€Å"You Can Never Have too Many† and John McMurty’s , â€Å"Kill ‘Em! Crush ‘Em! 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