13 minute read
Chapter 11: The impact of gender on participation
Important: Disability is another group discussed for this learning outcome (covered in Chapter 12). Students must be able to analyse the supports and barriers for at least two different groups. Student may also select older adults, ethnic groups or socio-economic groups to study. The supports and barriers for these groups can be found in section 12.4.
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Introduction: Discuss the key statistics from the Irish Sports Monitor survey 2019 with the class including: – The decreasing gender gap (3.4% in the 2019 mid-year survey) – The difference in activities that appeal most to men and women, for example team games are popular among men but not women.
TASK 11.1 ANSWERS
Study table 11.1 and identify two differences between the participation of men and women. Suggest two reasons for this.
– Team sports are more popular among men. This may be due to stereotyping, competitiveness, more clubs for men, male-dominated activity e.g. especially in positions of power. – Non-competitive fitness and body-toning activities are more popular among women.
This may be due to body image pressures on women and the media’s portrayal of women in sport.
Explain: Use examples to explain prejudice, discrimination and stereotyping. – Prejudice is often seen in the unfair treatment and attitude towards women in sport, immigrants or people form ethnic minorities. – Discrimination can be seen in clubs that try to exclude people on the basis of gender or social class. – Stereotyping can be seen in women’s sport when the standard of performance is compared to men’s sport, and when women engaging contact sports are described as masculine.
PRACTICE QUESTION ANSWERS
CASE STUDY QUESTION ANSWERS
Q1. Define the term prejudice. Describe two examples of prejudice in society. – Unreasonable negative opinion based on intolerance of race, gender, culture or religion – Labelling the traveller community as dishonest – Channelling people towards activities based on their race. – Not offering the same opportunities for participation to girls e.g. in sports clubs. Q2. Describe what is meant by discrimination and provide two examples. – Discrimination is to act on a prejudice and treat people unfairly. Examples include: – Excluding women from clubs e.g. men only golf club – Membership clauses based on gender, social class or race – Verbally abusive towards a participant or official based on their race or gender. Q3. Women in sport face barriers to participation such as negative stereotypes. Explain, using examples, what is meant by this statement. – Stereotyping is a standardised image or opinion about a group of people and it is usually negative. – Women are sometimes stereotyped as the primary carers e.g. ‘a women’s place is in the home’ and not on the sports field. – Women participating in traditionally male-dominated activities can be stereotyped as being masculine.
Q1. Two television advertisements were banned in the UK for perpetuating harmful gender stereotypes. (a) Describe the stereotype that the Philadelphia advert was found to be promoting. – That men were incapable of being responsible parents. (b) Does the Philidelphia advert prejudice men in any way? – It displays an unreasonably negative view of men as parents. (c) The Volkswagan advert depicts men as being innovative and adrenaline seeking whilst women were shown in the primary carer role. Explain how images like these might be responsible for reinforcing stereotypical gender roles. – It reinforces the stereotype of women as the primary carers for children and a predominantly domestic role in society. – Men are depicted as driving innovation.
Discuss the barriers to female participation and the solutions. – Ask the students to put forward reasons for and examples of each barrier.
Discuss the Apply it example of the female referee Stephanie Frappart including: – the barriers she may have faced in her career. – the impact she might have on women aspiring to become officials.
Explain the 20x20 initiative’s main aims: – 20% increase in participation, media coverage and attendance at women’s sports events.
PRACTICE QUESTION ANSWERS
CASE STUDY QUESTION ANSWERS
Q1. Women face many barriers to participation in physical activity and sport. (a) Describe two of these barriers. – Stereotyping: the development and acceptance of women’s sport has suffered due to unfair negative opinions about women’s sport. – Lack of role models: there is a lack of role models across a wide range of activities in women’s sport which negatively impacts upon participation. (b) Outline potential solutions to the barriers identified in (a). – Stereotyping: strong leadership from government; campaigns and initiatives promoting women’s sport; education; social acceptance of women’s sport as being equal to men’s – Lack of role models: increased media coverage of women’s sport; increase in women as presenters, pundits and columnists.
Q1. (a) Outline the aims of the 20x20 initiative. – 20% increase in media coverage of women’s sport – 20% increase in participation at all levels of women’s sport – 20% increase in attendance at women’s sport. (b) This initiative is supported by the Federation of Irish Sport. What supports could the national governing bodies of sport in Ireland put in place to ensure 20x20 succeeds? – Initiatives to drive participation e.g. female sports development officers – Funding for women’s sport e.g. competitions, high performance – Promotion of women’s sport e.g. advertising events and competitions.
11.2 Developments in physical activity and sporting opportunities for women over the past 20 years (Topic 7)
Introduction: Ask the students to complete task 11.3 to help them to extract key information.
TASK 11.3 ANSWERS
Use the information to help identify: • three important developments made in women’s sporting opportunities – The gender participation gap reduced from 15.7% in 2007 to 3.9% in 2019. – The Women in Sport policy was launched in 2019 which will address equality of opportunity for participation. – The National Sports Policy 2018 included a fund to promote increased and sustainable participation in sport by females. – The Women in Sport grant scheme was launched in 2006 to remove barriers. • two important policies that have or will influence future participation by women – The Women in Sport policy 2019 – The National Sports Policy 2018–2027. • the one initiative that you feel will be most successful in promoting an increase in participation, attendance and media coverage of women’s sport. – 20x20 as it has the support of a broad range of media as well as the Federation of
Irish Sport. • Chart the changes in the gender participation gap between 2007 and 2019. – 2007 (15.7%), 2011 (12%), 2013 (9.3%), 2015 (7.1), 2017 (4.5%), 2019 (3.9%) (A simple line graph could also be used.)
TASK 11.4 (Group work)
Investigate the progression of women’s participation within the Olympics including: • Identify three sports that became open to women in the past 20 years. – Boxing, golf, rugby, wrestling, bobsleigh, triathlon, weightlifting, modern pentathlon. • Chart the progress of women in positions of power within the Olympic movement over the past 20 years. – 2004: a woman was elected IOC Vice-President – 2008: a woman was elected to the executive board. – 2010: a woman is elected Chair of the Coordination Commission for the Olympic
Games in Rio 2016 – 2012: women were elected in positions of influence within the IOC including Vice-
President, Chair of the IOC Athletes’ Commission, IOC executive board – 2013: women now make up over a quarter of the IOC executive board – 2018: female representation on the IOC commission rises to 42.7% (98% increase) and executive board membership rises to almost one third – 2019: 33% of IOC members are now women. • Highlight areas of further improvement required i.e. in which areas has full equality still not been achieved. – There is still not equal participation of men and women at the Olympic Games (45% women). – The IOC has yet to reach full equality of representation across the IOC membership,
IOC commission and the executive board.
TASK 11.5 (Group work) PREPARATION
– Students will require access to the internet. Phones can be used if your acceptable use policy allows them to be used for educational purposes. – This could also be used as homework or a monthly assessment.
TASK 11.5 (Group work) SAMPLE ANSWER
Highlight the main developments in women’s participation in one physical activity including:
Sample activity: GAA
• participation levels – Ladies’ Gaelic Football Association has 1200 clubs and 188,000 members. • positions of power and influence within the sport such as positions on the board of the governing body – The Chief Executive and Operations Manager are both women. – Fourteen of the full-time staff are women (66.6%) and seven are men. • developments in attendances and media coverage – Over 56,000 people attended the All-Ireland final in 2019 and there has been significant year-on-year growth. – More games are being broadcast live by RTÉ and TnaG. – Highlights featured on the Sunday game. – Sky Sports broadcast the 2019 camogie and football finals. • initiatives by the National Governing Gody (NGB). – Strategic roadmap 2017-2022 – Support for 20x20 initiative – Gaelic4Mothers&Others initiative.
11.3 Boys’ and girls’ participation in physical activity and sport (Topic 9)
Introduction: Discuss the figures on participation by boys and girls in physical activity including: – Girls receive less PE time and are less likely to meet the recommended 60 minutes of moderate activity per day. – The impact of not meeting the recommendation on health and fitness, for example obesity and high blood pressure. – Physical activity levels are decreasing with age. Discuss the implications of this for adulthood.
Student led learning:
– Ask the students to look through the main influences on participation of boys and girls and identify the factors that they feel relate most to them and their situation for example location, school, gender. – Ask the students to choose three methods of addressing the imbalance between boys’ and girls’ participation that they feel is likely to have an impact.
PRACTICE QUESTION ANSWERS
Q1. Examine table 11.5 and identify two important differences between the participation of boys and girls in physical activity. – Girls tend to participate two to three times per week. – Boys participate more often (four plus days per week). Q2. Outline the recommended minimum level of activity for boys and girls. – At least 60 minutes per day of moderate to vigorous physical activity. Q3. Discuss three influences on the participation levels of boys and girls in school and the community. – Access to facilities as many schools do not have a sports hall – The amount of PE and extra-curricular activity available at school and the range of activities on offer – Age and gender: participation is less for girls and decreases with age. Q4. Investigate how you think the imbalance between boys’ and girls’ participation might be addressed. – Positive attitude from school teachers towards girls’ physical activity with a range of activities and initiatives for example boys’ and girls’ teams across the full range of sports; offering non-competitive activities – Promotion and publicity of girls’ activities and equal status given to the achievements of girls – The Girls Active programme, which offers participation without competition in activities selected by girls.
11.4 Gender, media and body image (Topic 9)
Introduction: Ask the class to identify what they feel society considers to be the ideal female and male physique. – Identify the characteristics that are considered masculine and feminine. – Ask what has influenced their choices, for example role models, celebrities, social media, mainstream media, peers.
Explain that their decisions were probably influenced by social regulation – the expectations of society/pressure to conform.
Explain hegemonic masculinity and femininity as the stereotypical dominant traits associated with being manly or womanly. – Masculine: competitive and aggressive. – Feminine: gently, sensitive and caring.
Examine and discuss the case study on Caster Semenya in relation to hegemonic femininity and discrimination. – Read the case study in the student textbook. – Watch the video clip in the teacher PowerPoint.
CASE STUDY QUESTION ANSWERS
Q1. Caster Semenya did not conform to the traits associated with hegemonic femininity. This led to some of her competitors complaining she had an unfair advantage. How did the athletics governing body respond to her naturally higher levels of testosterone? – They banned her from competing in her specialist events unless she agreed to take medication that would lower her testosterone level. Q2. Levels of testosterone vary significantly among male athletes and influence levels of aggression, strength and performance. Suggest reasons why the athletics governing body has not attempted to place limits on male testosterone levels. – Strength, aggression and competitiveness are associated with hegemonic masculinity and seen by society as ‘manly’ and ‘desirable’. – Sport is seen as a male preserve and testosterone is a male hormone. – The IAAF, like most governing bodies, is dominated by men who traditionally hold the positions of power in sports organisations. Q3. Caster Semenya did not cheat or take performance-enhancing drugs, yet she was still banned from competition. Many people believe this is discrimination. (a) What do you understand by the term discrimination? – Discrimination is to act on a prejudice and treat someone unfairly. (b) Do you agree with the court’s decision that the decision is ‘discriminatory but necessary” – Yes it is discriminatory. – No it is not necessary as sportspeople benefit from a wide range individual differences that give them an advantage such as higher levels of strength, endurance or coordination. or – Yes it is necessary as it provides an unfair advantage.
Examine the case study of Rhys McClenaghan, an Irish male gymnast.
PRACTICE QUESTION ANSWERS
Q1. ‘Body image affects female participation in physical activity more than male participation’. Do you agree with this statement? Give reasons to justify your answer. – Yes: women sometimes choose not to participate in mixed groups due negative perceptions of their body. – Negative body image is often a motivator for participation in physical activity among women. – The type of activity participated in is often influenced by body image e.g. weight loss, fitness-based activities. Q2. Explain what is meant by social regulation and investigate its effects on body image and the type of participation favoured by males and females. – Unwritten rules on what is considered acceptable behaviour by society. – Women are encouraged to participate in non-contact activities that improve appearance. – Men are encouraged to participate in activities that enhance their masculinity such as contact sports and weight training. Q3. Discuss whether the media perpetuates social regulation of male and female participation in physical activity and sport. – The media follow some areas of female sport and ignore others, thus reinforcing gender stereotypes e.g. live coverage of female tennis but not rugby. – Some media focus on women’s sex appeal and femininity rather than their physical ability and performance e.g. tabloid newspapers. – Sportswomen who conform to the ‘ideal’ image of femininity are often rewarded with increased media coverage and therefore higher commercial sponsorship. – The media concentrate their coverage on stereotypically masculine activities such as contact sport like football, rugby and boxing. Q4. Outline what you understand by the term’s hegemonic masculinity and hegemonic femininity. – Hegemonic masculinity: the dominant behavioural traits that are considered masculine such as competitiveness, strength and aggression. – Hegemonic femininity: the dominant traits that are considered womanly such as gentleness, empathy, humility and sensitivity. Q5. Create a table to summarise the traits associated with hegemonic masculinity and hegemonic femininity.
Hegemonic masculinity
• Competitiveness • Aggression • Strength
Hegemonic femininity
• Sensitivity • Humility • Gentleness
Q6. Examine the traits you compiled in question 5. Discuss how the association of these traits with men and women can impact upon participation in physical activity and maintain stereotypes. – They will determine the activities that are deemed socially acceptable for men and women. – They will create stereotypes that place barriers to participation. – They will define what it is to be masculine or feminine in sport.
CASE STUDY QUESTION ANSWERS
Q1. Gymnastics is not a sport typically associated with stereotypical male traits. (a) How was Rhys made aware of this at school? – He was asked why he didn’t play football or rugby/traditional masculine activities. (b) How did Rhys deal with this? – He ignored it and focused on his goals. (c) Which similarities in the fitness requirements of gymnastics and games did Rhys identify? – Strength, flexibility and balance. Q2. Identify one trait of hegemonic masculinity that is present in gymnastics and one that is absent. – Competitiveness is present. – Aggression is absent (non-contact).
