I’m glad The Wireless has opened up the conversation by allowing comments on posts. For me it’s so important to have two-way communication. Modern day media isn’t just about us giving you information; it’s also about you contributing to the conversation.
In comments in my last post about youth sport, we received a very thought provoking contribution that added to the conversation. The contributor raised some very valid points about this issue. Thanks for contributing and adding to the conversation Nick.
What makes Fair Game so different from any other is that is offers a discourse not often heard or seen in the mainstream media. I try to offer critical thought on a range of sociological issues in sport, and I’m so glad you are choosing to add critical thought in your comments. The goal is to open up new conversations about sport.
A question was raised about citations. I create my thoughts through doing a lot of reading, personal interaction with people at all levels of sport and from my personal sporting experiences. My views are just that and I’m glad that my views have encouraged you to engage in a discussion about gender equality in youth sport.
Ultimately this blog is about sport and society, and to me sport reflects society.
If you’d like to expand your thinking about sociological issues in sport I’d recommend the following:
- Sport in society: Issues and controversies in Australia and New Zealand by Coakley, Hallinan, Jackson, and Mewitt. (2009).
- Anything from the Tucker Centre for Research on Girls & Women in Sport at the University of Minnesota. Professor Mary Jo Kane is a pioneer.
- Sociology of Sport Journal.
- Anything from New Zealand universities about sociological issues in sport. I particularly enjoy works from Dr Sarah Leberman, Dr Andy Martin and Dr Sarah Gee from Massey University, and Professor Steve Jackson from Otago, just to name a few.
In the comments in the last blog, the question was asked “What's the point in calling a team a boys team if it isn't made up of boys. And vice versa, what's the point of having a girls team if isn't made up of girls. I understand that skill matters. At younger ages there is less noticeable differences in skill between the genders and hence it would be more acceptable to create mixed teams. But in later years the difference isn't arising from skill, it's arising from basic sexual dimorphism”.
That is a great point. Why do we give teams these labels? Why can’t teams just be labelled “teams” and not defined by the assigned sex of the participants? Your point about sexual dimorphism is valid on a biological level... but what about on a sociological level? Sociologically our assigned sex shouldn’t matter – we should all be equal regardless of assigned sex – but unfortunately within the sporting environment we are segregated because of it. Our biological assignment impacts on how we are treated in society and in sport. Should we all not be treated equally and have the same opportunities as one another?
Biological assignment plays a large part in the way that sporting experiences are shaped. Boys and girls are given different messages based on their biology, and the traditional masculine/feminine roles and traits attached to their assigned sex.
Coakley et al has a fantastic chapter in the book about youth sport. They point out that sporting choices and experiences are influenced by gender and definitions around that in society. They suggest sporting messages given to boys and girls are different and because of that their sporting experiences are different. They go on to point out that “girls learn to minimise the physical space that they occupy, sexualise their bodies through modifying appearance and movement and accept the notion that boys are physically superior to them”. Boys on the other hand “present themselves as a physically big and strong, act in ways that claim physical space around them and assume power and control over girls in sport” (p144).
If you say to a girl “no you can’t play in this basketball team because you are a girl” or “you throw like a girl” what message is that sending? What if you said to a boy “no you can’t play in this netball team because you are a boy”, what message is that sending?
How can we change this? Well, Coakley et al suggest that it is very difficult to change the male-dominated patterns because it is deeply rooted in our culture.
While it is hard to change something that is deeply rooted, it is possible to change. By changing our thoughts and our actions regarding skill over assigned sex then we could change the shape of our sporting landscape for the better. Did Kate Sheppard say “should I champion for women’s rights because it could get us the vote” or Richie McCaw say “should I play with a broken foot because it could help win us the World Cup”? Why not give it a chance?
We are talking about this issue further with Dr Sarah Leberman on Sunday Morning with Wallace Chapman on Radio New Zealand at about 7.40am. Is there something you’d like to ask? Or an issue related to youth sport you’d like to put forward? Join the discussion.
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