Women and Sports

Article Review # 99936

Gender and Sexuality > Theories of Gender
Sport
Women Studies

Women and Sports

This essay discusses the issue of femininity as it relates to sports.

1,116 words () | 3 sources | MLA | 2007 United States

Paper Summary:

In this article, the writer provides a reflection analysis of three different articles from three different periods. The writer looks at the following three articles: "No Man's Land of Sport" by Alexandrine Gibb, "Whitby Senior Public School Girls Win Third Straight Volleyball Crown" by Malcolm Johnson, and "Sports Briefs" from The Toronto Star. Specifically, the paper looks at the socially-constructed body as it pertains to women in sports. In addition, the writer discusses the issues of femininity that arise when looking at the three articles. In the end, the writer argues that attitudes vis-a-vis the female form and female involvement in athletics have evolved generally in a positive manner.

From the Paper:

"Instead, coverage of women's sports veered towards the athletic abilities of female participants. For example, a January 1985 article in the Toronto Star mentions how Whitby Senior Public School's victory in the Durham Elementary Athletic Association volleyball championships is a testament to the commitment of the athletes involved. In particular, writer Malcolm Johnson approvingly cites coach Jim Higgs, who mentions both competitive zeal and commitment as well as skill as being the chief determinants of his team's success. Suffice it to say, these young girls are now viewed as athletes and as competitors rather than as mass commodities with "nice legs"; just as significantly, there does not appear to be any social construction of the female form at all in this particular article - although the young age of the female competitors involved necessarily argues against that, anyways. Nonetheless, athletic achievement has supplanted "old-fashioned" notions of femininity."

Sample of Sources Used:

Gibb, Alexandrine. "No Man's Land of Sport." Toronto Star 8 Jan. 1937: no page number provided.
Johnson, Malcolm. "Whitby Senior Public School Girls Win Third Straight Volleyball Crown." Toronto Star 8 Jan. 1985:
"Sports Briefs." Toronto Star 8 Jan. 2006: