Lily Borin- Digital Zine Project

FEMALE COLLEGIATE ATHLETE EVENT HOSTED BY LILY BORIN OPEN EVENT! 8:00 PM

DECEMBER 22ND

LOCATED AT THE TTC! 100 ASHFORD ST. BOSTON, M.A. BE PREPARED THIS EVENT WILL PROVIDE IN-DEPTH ANALYSIS ON SOCIOLOGICAL JOURNALS, READINGS, AND OTHER SOURCES THAT HIGHLIGHT THE INEQUALITIES THAT FEMALE COLLEGIATE ATHLETES HAVE EXPERIENCED OVER THE PAST FEW DECADES. MORE INFO ABOUT THE EVENT TO BE FOUND IN OTHER FLYERS AROUND CAMPUS!

GENDER PAY GAP IN COLLEGIATE ATHLETICS A TASTE OF THE ISSUE OUR EVENT IS ADDRESSING:

PRIVLEGING DIFFERENCE: WOMEN’S SOCCER IN ONE SOCIOLOGICAL ARTICLE, THE AUTHOR, RACHEL ALLISON, CONDUCTS 19 INTERVIEWS AS WELL AS AN EMAIL EXCHANGE WITH U.S. WOMEN PROFESSIONAL SOCCER PLAYERS. THERE IS A PRETTY EVEN MIX OF RETIRED AND CURRENTLY PLAYING ATHLETES, HETEROSEXUAL AND LESBIAN/GAY WOMEN, AS WELL AS DIFFERENT RACES. ALLISON CONDUCTED INTERVIEWS THAT CONSISTED OF BASELINE QUESTIONS REGARDING THE PLAYERS’ EXPERIENCES WITH THE SPORT. NO GENDER-RELATED QUESTIONS WERE ASKED, BUT THE WOMEN CONTINUOUSLY BROUGHT UP GENDER DIFFERENCES IN THE SPORT AND HOW THIS AFFECTED THEM NEGATIVELY. IT WAS FOUND THAT THE WOMEN ACCEPT GENDER DIFFERENCES WHILE ALSO ACKNOWLEDGING THAT IT IS A PROBLEM AND SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE ABOUT IT. SOCIOLOGICALLY, THE AUTHOR CLAIMS THAT “PRIVILEGING DIFFERENCE” IS DETECTED IN THE STUDY. THIS STUDY HIGHLIGHTS THAT THE GENDER GAP IN WOMEN’S SPORTS HAS BECOME FAR TOO NORMALIZED. EVERYONE IS SO USED TO THE GENDER GAP/GENDER PAY GAP THAT NO ONE IS ATTEMPTING TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT.

(ALLISON, 2020)

MARCY, ONE OF THE PARTICIPANTS, ARGUES: “THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE RESOURCES THAT MEN’S PROFESSIONAL ATHLETES HAVE AND WOMEN IS REALLY, IT’S A HUGE GAP. BUT THEN IT MAKES IT DIFFICULT FOR WOMEN’S SOCCER TO BE TAKEN AS SERIOUSLY OR TO BE PERCEIVED AS EQUAL WHEN THE RESOURCES JUST ARE NOT THERE” (ALLISON, 2020).

(KNOPPERS, EWING, FORREST, 2023) THIS TABLE COMES FROM AN ARTICLE IN THE SOCIOLOGY SPORTS JOURNAL. IT ANALYZES THE DIFFERENCE IN SALARIES BETWEEN FEMALE AND MALE COLLEGIATE COACHES. AS SEEN ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE TABLE, FEMALE COACHES ARE PAID SIGNIFICANTLY LESS THAN MALE COACHES. THIS IS AS OF 2023.

IN MY OWN EXPERIENCE: I AM ON THE WOMEN’S CROSS COUNTRY/TRACK AND FIELD TEAM HERE AT BU. I HAVE NOTICED AND HEARD PEOPLE TALK ABOUT HOW OUR TEAM HAD TO PURPOSEFULLY RECRUIT MORE WOMEN THAN MEN FOR THE CURRENT FRESHMAN CLASS. THIS IS BECAUSE THERE IS A RULE SET IN PLACE, WHETHER IT IS BY THE NCAA OR BU; I AM NOT SURE, WHERE THERE NEEDS TO BE THE SAME AMOUNT OF WOMEN AS THERE ARE MEN ACROSS ALL TEAMS AT BOSTON UNIVERSITY. I REMEMBER HEARING TALK LAST YEAR ABOUT HOW OUR COACH HAD TO RECRUIT MORE GIRLS THAN HE DID BOYS BECAUSE OF THIS RULE. NOW WHILE THIS RULE IS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR EQUALITY, IT ALSO RAISES THE QUESTION, OF HOW MUCH OF THE CHANGE COMES FROM A GENUINE PLACE. IT SEEMS AS THOUGH MY TEAM IS BEING FORCED TO GIVE OUT MORE SCHOLARSHIPS TO FEMALE ATHLETES AS A WAY OF CREATING SOME SORT OF BALANCE AMONG ALL OF BU’S ATHLETICS. HOWEVER, I WILL ACKNOWLEDGE AND BE GRATEFUL FOR THE CHANGE THAT IS CURRENTLY BEING MADE IN THAT AREA OF GENDER INEQUALITIES.

UNEQUAL OPPORTUNITIES BETWEEN MALE AND FEMALE COLLEGE ATHLETES MARCH MADNESS BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT:

(ESPN, 2021) THIS VIDEO IS A PRIME EXAMPLE OF WHERE WE CURRENTLY STAND WHEN IT COMES TO OPPORTUNITIES FOR FEMALE COLLEGE ATHLETES. IN THE NCAA MARCH MADNESS BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT, WOMEN WERE PROVIDED WITH A SMALL RACK OF WEIGHTS, WHILE THE MEN GOT THIS LARGE EXTRAVAGANT WEIGHT ROOM FOR THE TOURNAMENT. WHEN ONE BRAVE FEMALE ATHLETE BROUGHT THIS ISSUE TO SOCIAL MEDIA WITH IMAGES SHOWING HOW POORLY THE NCAA WAS TREATING THEM, THE PUBLIC WAS FURIOUS. TO MAKE MATTERS WORSE, THE NCAA DIDN’T TAKE ACCOUNTABILITY AT FIRST, CLAIMING THAT THERE WAS NO SPACE FOR ANOTHER WEIGHT ROOM. THE ATHLETE PROVED THE ORGANIZATION WRONG THOUGH, SHOWING ALL OF THE SPACE AVAILABLE.

UNEQUAL OPPORTUNITIES BETWEEN MALE AND FEMALE COLLEGE ATHLETES CONTINUED....

SOME MORE EXAMPLES OF THESE INEQUALITIES IN REAL LIFE: THIS ONE ARTICLE COMES FROM A SOCIOLOGY JOURNAL AND IT STUDIES FEMALE COLLEGIATE RUGBY ATHLETES, WHICH IS TYPICALLY CONSIDERED A “MAN” SPORT. IT ANALYZES HOW THEY PLAY AND HOW THE TECHNIQUES THEY USE RELATE TO IDENTIFICATION. IT WAS FOUND THAT THIS STUDY RESULTED IN THE WOMEN HAVING A “HETEROSEXY-FIT” WHICH HIGHLIGHTS GENDER INEQUALITIES AS WELL AS HETEROSEXISM. EVEN DURING ACTUAL GAMES, WE SEE SEXISM WRITTEN ALL OVER THE PLACE. THE SEXISM AND HOMOPHOBIA COMING FROM OUTSIDERS WATCHING THE GAME COMPLETELY REINFORCE WHY WOMEN DO NOT GET THE SAME OPPORTUNITIES AS MEN DO, ESPECIALLY IN A SPORT LIKE RUGBY. AS FOR THE SPECTATORS, THEY SIMPLY NEED TO DO BETTER. COMMENTING ON SOMEONE'S GENDER AND SEXUALITY ADDS ABSOLUTELY NO VALUE TO THE GAME.

(EZZELL, 2014)

SIMILARLY, ANOTHER STUDY IS DONE THAT COMPARES THE COMMENTARY OF TELEVISED COVERAGE FOR BOTH MEN’S AND WOMEN’S SPORTS. THE AUTHORS WANTED TO ANSWER THE QUESTION OF WHETHER SEXISM CAN BE DETECTED DURING THE WOMEN’S GAMES. THE RESULTS SHOWED LESS SEXISM THAN IN THE PAST, HOWEVER, THERE WERE STILL OFFENSIVE COMMENTS MADE THAT THE STUDY CATEGORIZED ACCORDINGLY. THIS ACADEMIC SOURCE FURTHER REINFORCES MY POINT THAT THOUGH SEXISM MAY NOT BE AS BLATANT, THERE ARE STILL INEQUALITIES THAT CAN BE DETECTED EVEN DURING ACTUAL GAMEPLAY.

(MESSNER DUNCAN, JENSEN, 1993)

GENDER PROPORTIONALITY BETWEEN COLLEGE ATHLETES TITLE XI: ESSENTIALLY TITLE XI IS A FEDERAL CIVIL RIGHTS LAW THAT COMPLETELY PROHIBITS ANY DISCRIMINATION BASED ON SEX/GENDER IN SCHOOL OR OTHER EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITIES.

IN ONE SOCIOLOGICAL STUDY, THE AUTHORS, LEE SIGELMAN AND PAUL J. WALHBECK EXPLORE HOW MUCH STILL REMAINS TO MAKE FEMALES HAVE EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES AS MEN DO. SCHOOLS WITH FOOTBALL TEAMS ARE ESPECIALLY NOWHERE NEAR COMPLIANCE. TITLE IX PROHIBITS THIS TYPE OF GENDER DISCRIMINATION. HOWEVER, THERE ARE NO FEMALE FOOTBALL TEAMS THAT I AM AWARE OF, ESPECIALLY IN COLLEGE. I KNOW THAT FEMALES ARE TECHNICALLY ALLOWED TO PLAY FOOTBALL WITH MEN, BUT THIS IS ENTIRELY UNFAIR BECAUSE OF THE BIOLOGICAL MAKEUP OF A WOMAN VERSUS A MAN. THE AUTHORS FOUND THAT MOST SCHOOLS WITHOUT A FOOTBALL TEAM ARE MAKING LARGE STRIDES TOWARD GENDER PROPORTIONALITY, HOWEVER FOOTBALL SCHOOLS HAVE A LONG WAY TO GO AND THERE IS NOT MUCH HOPE FOR THE FUTURE OF THESE SCHOOLS.

COUNTERARGUMENT: THIS STUDY’S RESULTS TELL US THAT SCHOOLS WITHOUT FOOTBALL TEAMS HAVE ACTUALLY MADE SOME LARGE STRIDES TOWARDS GENDER PROPORTIONALITY. ALTHOUGH I CAN ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THIS IS SOMEWHAT TRUE COMING FROM A SCHOOL WITH NO FOOTBALL TEAM, THERE IS STILL LOADS OF WORK THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE IN ORDER TO REACH THIS EQUALITY. FOR EXAMPLE, MY TEAM LAST YEAR HAD MORE MEN ON IT THAN WOMEN. THIS YEAR THE ISSUE WAS ADDRESSED THOUGH AND WE HAVE A PRETTY EQUAL NUMBER OF WOMEN AND MEN ON OUR TEAM NOW.

(SIGELMAN, WAHLBECK, 1999)

WHERE? TTC: 100 ASHFORD ST., BOSTON, M.A.

ALL WELCOME

FEMALE COLLEGIATE ATHLETE EVENT 8:00 PM REMINDER: THIS EVENT WILL ADDRESS CURRENT AND PAST ISSUES FEMALE COLLEGIATE ATHLETES HAVE EXPERIENCED OVER THE PAST FEW DECADES. RAISING AWARENESS OF THIS SOCIAL PROBLEM IS THE FIRST STEP TOWARD CHANGE. AFTER DISCUSSING THESE TOPICS, WE WILL BRAINSTORM WAYS IN WHICH WE CAN PUSH TOWARD CHANGE SOONER. IF YOU ARE A STUDENT-ATHLETE YOURSELF, YOU CAN START BY BRINGING UP THE SPECIFIC DYNAMIC YOU WANT TO CHANGE TO YOUR COACHES/ FELLOW ATHLETES. WE CAN ALSO MAKE POSTS ONLINE, EMAIL OUR SCHOOLS ATHLETIC DIRECTORS, AND CONTINUE MEETING AS A GROUP TO ENCOURAGE A SAFE AND EQUAL ENVIRONMENT FOR ALL FEMALE ATHLETES.

DECEMBER 22ND

WORKS CITED ALLISON, R. (2020, SEPTEMBER 17). PRIVILEGING DIFFERENCE: NEGOTIATING GENDER ESSENTIALISM IN U.S. WOMEN’S PROFESSIONAL SOCCER. JOURNALS.HUMANKINETICS.COM; HUMAN KINETICS. HTTPS://JOURNALS-HUMANKINETICS-COM.EZPROXY.BU.EDU/VIEW/JOURNALS/SSJ/38/2/ARTICLE-P158.XML.

THIS ARTICLE CONDUCTS 19 INTERVIEWS AS WELL AS AN EMAIL EXCHANGE WITH U.S. WOMEN PROFESSIONAL SOCCER PLAYERS. IT WAS FOUND THAT THE WOMEN ACCEPT GENDER DIFFERENCES WHILE ALSO ACKNOWLEDGING THAT IT IS A PROBLEM AND SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE ABOUT IT. SOCIOLOGICALLY, THE AUTHOR CLAIMS THAT “PRIVILEGING DIFFERENCE” IS DETECTED IN THE STUDY. THIS WILL BE USEFUL IN MY ZINE BECAUSE IT HIGHLIGHTS THAT THE GENDER GAP IN WOMEN’S SPORTS HAS BECOME NORMALIZED. EVERYONE IS SO USED TO IT TO THE POINT WHERE IT FEELS LIKE SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE ABOUT IT BUT ALSO NOTHING CAN BE. ESPN. (2021, MARCH 19). NCAA CALLED OUT FOR WOMEN’S BASKETBALL WEIGHT ROOM FOR MARCH MADNESS | COLLEGE BASKETBALL ON ESPN. WWW.YOUTUBE.COM; ESPN. HTTPS://WWW.YOUTUBE.COM/WATCH?V=0SRGB_P3IGU. THIS VIDEO IS VERY INTERESTING TO ME BECAUSE IT IS A RECENT REAL-LIFE EXAMPLE OF GENDER DISCRIMINATION IN NCAA SPORTS. DURING THE NCAA MARCH MADNESS BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT, WOMEN WERE PROVIDED WITH ONLY A RACK OF SMALL WEIGHTS FOR THEIR WEIGHT ROOM WHILE THE MEN HAD THIS EXTRAVAGANT GYM. THE MEDIA WAS FURIOUS BY THIS WHEN FEMALE PLAYERS FROM DIFFERENT COLLEGIATE TEAMS POSTED THE IMAGES. THIS EXAMPLE SHOWS THAT GENDER DISCRIMINATION IN THE NCAA IS STILL VERY RELEVANT. THIS SOURCE DOESN’T COME FROM A SOCIOLOGY JOURNAL, HOWEVER, IT IS JUST AN EXTRA SOURCE IN ADDITION TO MY 5 ACADEMIC SOURCES. EZZELL, M. (2014, JULY 30). “BARBIE DOLLS” ON THE PITCH: IDENTITY WORK, DEFENSIVE OTHERING, AND INEQUALITY IN WOMEN’S RUGBY. ACADEMIC-OUPCOM.EZPROXY.BU.EDU; SOCIAL PROBLEMS. HTTPS://ACADEMIC-OUP-COM.EZPROXY.BU.EDU/SOCPRO/ARTICLE/56/1/111/1644433?

LOGIN=TRUE&TOKEN=EYJHBGCIOIJUB25LIN0.EYJLEHAIOJE3MDA2MJG5OTUSIMP0ASI6IJI1ZDM2ODU1LTAZNTETNDM3YY04ODAYLWEXZJFHYTI4ZTZHNIJ9..

THIS ARTICLE STUDIES FEMALE COLLEGIATE RUGBY ATHLETES (TYPICALLY CONSIDERED A “MAN” SPORT) AND ANALYZES HOW THEY PLAY AND HOW THE TECHNIQUES THEY USE RELATE TO IDENTIFICATION. IT WAS FOUND THAT THIS STUDY RESULTED IN THE WOMEN HAVING A “HETEROSEXY-FIT” WHICH EMPHASIZED GENDER INEQUALITIES AS WELL AS HETEROSEXISM. THIS IS A VERY INTERESTING, SPECIFIC STUDY THAT I CAN SEE MYSELF USING TO HIGHLIGHT HOW EVEN DURING ACTUAL GAMES SEXISM IS WRITTEN ALL OVER THE PLACE. KNOPPERS, A., MEYER, B., EWING, M., & FORREST, L. (2023). HUMAN KINETICS: GENDER AND THE SALARIES OF COACHES. HUMAN KINETICS; HUMAN KINETICS. HTTPS://JOURNALS-HUMANKINETICS-COM.EZPROXY.BU.EDU/CONFIGURABLE/CONTENT/JOURNALS$002FSSJ$002F6$002F4$002FARTICLE-P348.XML? T:AC=JOURNALS%24002FSSJ%24002F6%24002F4%24002FARTICLE-P348.XML. THIS SECTION OF THE JOURNAL ANALYZES THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN MALE AND FEMALE COACHES' SALARIES. THE STUDY AIMS TO ANSWER THE QUESTION OF WHETHER THERE IS A GENDER PAY GAP IN COLLEGIATE COACHING. RESULTS SHOWED THAT GENDER SALARY HAS A POSITIVE EFFECT ON ONLY MALE COACHES. THIS PROVES THE POINT IN MY PROJECT ON HOW IN EVERY AREA WOMEN ARE TREATED UNJUSTLY IN THE NCAA. MESSNER, M. A., DUNCAN, M. C., & JENSEN, K. (1993). SEPARATING THE MEN FROM THE GIRLS: THE GENDERED LANGUAGE OF TELEVISED SPORTS. GENDER AND SOCIETY, 7(1), 121–137. HTTPS://WWW.JSTOR.ORG/STABLE/PDF/190027.PDF?CASA_TOKEN=0W6G5EF8M0SAAAAA:5S7UAQBEGYGN5EUX_JS0EHGYFMG1PD23CLEWDQUYORDZBQBBC4-9MMDS5ZHZN8KGDRXH-HJH5WQYFAZRZZLHD49UFYGHZD7KZNOSRFTBB2EK60JR83FFQ. IN THIS JOURNAL, A STUDY IS DONE THAT COMPARES THE COMMENTARY OF TELEVISED COVERAGE FOR BOTH MEN’S AND WOMEN’S SPORTS. THE AUTHORS WANTED TO ANSWER THE QUESTION OF WHETHER SEXISM CAN BE DETECTED DURING THE WOMEN’S GAMES. THE RESULTS SHOWED LESS SEXISM THAN IN THE PAST, HOWEVER, THERE WERE STILL OFFENSIVE COMMENTS MADE THAT THE STUDY CATEGORIZED ACCORDINGLY. THIS ACADEMIC SOURCE WILL EMPHASIZE MY POINT THAT THOUGH SEXISM MAY NOT BE AS BLATANT, THERE ARE STILL INEQUALITIES THAT CAN BE DETECTED IN EVERY ASPECT. SIGELMAN, L., & WAHLBECK, P. (1999). GENDER PROPORTIONALITY IN INTERCOLLEGIATE ATHLETICS: THE MATHEMATICS OF TITLE IX COMPLIANCE. LOGIN.EZPROXY.BU.EDU; UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN. HTTPS://GO-GALE-COM.EZPROXY.BU.EDU/PS/I.DO? P=AONE&U=MLIN_B_BUMML&ID=GALE%7CA89929515&V=2.1&IT=R&UGROUP=OUTSIDE&ATY=IP. THIS STUDY EXPLORES HOW MUCH STILL REMAINS TO MAKE FEMALES HAVE EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES AS MEN DO. ESPECIALLY SCHOOLS WITH FOOTBALL TEAMS ARE NOWHERE NEAR COMPLIANCE. TITLE IX PROHIBITS GENDER DISCRIMINATION IN EDUCATION. I WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN MY PAPER BECAUSE IT INCLUDES A LOT OF INFORMATION ON THE LAWS THAT ARE IN PLACE AND HOW WELL, OR BADLY, SCHOOLS ARE DOING TO CREATE GENDER PROPORTIONALITY.

SEE YOU SOON!

(P.S. PLEASE DON’T ACTUALLY SHOW UP, THIS IS A FAKE EVENT CREATED FOR THE PURPOSE OF THIS SOCIAL PROBLEM PROJECT)