Gender and Sports in Society

KIN 207 Lecture 15: Social & Cultural Constraints

• Learning Outcomes:
  • Discuss the role of sociocultural constraints in motor development.
  • Define the role of specific social agents (like parents and schools) in individual development.
  • Explain the socialization process and how it differs for various groups.

Constraints Model

• Individual constraints:
  • Structural: (e.g., physical limitations or disabilities)
  • Functional: (e.g., perceived ability or motivation)
• Task constraints: (e.g., specific skill requirements or the physical environment)
• Environmental constraints: (e.g., societal attitudes or cultural norms)

Sociocultural Constraints

• Ecological perspective: Culture significantly influences sport choices.
• Culturally specific concepts shape movement behaviors.
• Group attitudes (environmental constraint) affect individual motor behaviors.
• Social values, norms, morals, and ideas are part of the constraint.

Social Constraints

• Pervasive group attitudes, values, and morals influence individual behavior.
• Create an atmosphere promoting socially acceptable activities and discouraging unacceptable ones.
• Examples of social constraints:
  • Age
  • Gender
  • Disability
  • Race
  • Sexual Orientation
  • Religion
  • Socioeconomic Status

Intersectionality

• Overlap of various social identities.
• People often identify in numerous ways.
• Tied to both oppression and privilege.

Some Sociocultural Constraints

• Racial characteristics are biological and related to genetic similarities within groups.
• Ethnic characteristics are culturally based and link groups based on cultural similarities.
• Socioeconomic characteristics can interact with racial and ethnic backgrounds.
• Importance of examining group differences without attributing biological priority to them.
• Stereotyped threat can lead to lower performance than expected.

The Socialization Process

• Socialization impacts participation choices.
• Three key elements:
  • Socializing agents (family, peers, coaches, teachers)
  • Social situations (games, play environment, toys)
  • Personal attributes (strength, skill, motivation, perceived ability)

Socializing Agents

• Families (Parents):
  • Most influential in early childhood.
  • Praise and reward involvement.
  • Same-sex parent may exert more influence.
• Families (Siblings):
  • Significant influence in early years.
  • Same-sex siblings are more influential.
  • Influence diminishes after childhood.
• Peers:
  • Important later in life.
  • Stronger influence than families for some.
  • Group preference for passive activities can be influencing.
• Coaches and Teachers:
  • Inconlusive findings exist about how influential they are.

Social Situations

• Play environments and games impact opportunities for activity.
• Lack of space may limit opportunities for gross motor activity.
• Gender-typed play environments may limit some activity options for certain genders.
• Toys can influence active or inactive behaviors.
• Traditional gender roles may be reinforced through toy selection.

Personal Attributes

• Strength, skill, motivation, perceived ability are explored further in chapter 16.

Women & Girls in Sport

• Statistical snapshot:
  • Only a small percentage of girls achieve recommended levels of daily physical activity, compared to boys.
  • Boys take significantly more steps daily than girls (ages 5-19).
  • Fewer girls participate regularly in sport compared to boys.

Women in Sport historically

• Beliefs around women participating in sport included concern about harmful increases in "energy" which could negatively impact fertility.
• Physical activity was believed to desexualize women.
• Women were often deemed incapable of enduring the pain or injury of participation.
• Some sports were seen as status symbols for the people who played them, often with strict dress codes.

Title IX (1972)

• Federal legislation prohibiting sex-based discrimination in education programs that receive federal funding.
• Significant impact on participation rates.
• Increased visibility and opportunities for girls.

Influence of Title IX

• Before Title IX, participation rates of girls in sports was very low, significantly lower than for boys.
• After Title IX, participation rates for girls have increased.
• Now, more girls and boys participate in gender-neutral sports than in gender-specific sports.

Barriers Today

• Physical Barriers: Low fitness, illness, lack of physical literacy.
• Psychological Barriers: Limited confidence or self-efficacy.
• Time-Based Barriers: Schoolwork, work, family responsibilities.
• Interpersonal Barriers: Lack of family support, gender stereotypes in societal perception of sport participation.
• Access & Opportunity Barriers: Cost, appropriate equipment, transportation, facilities access, etc.
• Programming Barriers: Lack of choice, poor facilities quality, competition focus.

Still Today...

• Women hold a relatively small percentage of head coaching and athletic director positions.
• Women comprise a smaller proportion of reported coaches and technical officials overall.

Positive Sport Experiences

• Positive sport experiences contribute to girls' health, well-being, self-esteem, empowerment, and social integration.
• Support gender equality, and facilitate leadership opportunities.

Gender Typing

• Societal attitudes about gender-appropriate activities restrict activity options for boys and girls.
• These attitudes, while present, have been decreasing in the USA.
• Girls still lag behind boys in participation numbers, and are more likely to drop out after high school

Gender Typing Example

• Sex refers to biological characteristics.
• Gender refers to social characteristics (masculine vs feminine), a social constraint.
• Gender typing occurs when parents or significant others encourage activities deemed "appropriate" for each gender, such as "masculine" sports for boys, and "feminine" sports for girls.

What Can You Do?

• Give specific feedback, rather than general feedback.
• Encourage participation that is not gender-stereotyped.
• Support diverse options for engagement in activity.

Age Discrimination (Ageism)

• Ageism: discrimination based on age or assumed age.
• Negative attitudes and lack of knowledge about aging contribute to an extremely negative view of older adults and the aging process.
• "The third great ism" (after racism and sexism) in terms of societal discrimination.