History
- Few opportunities are available to women
- “No person shall, the basis of sex, be excluded for the participation in or denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any educational program”
Sports and Educational Programs
- Sports teach lesions, formerly mainly to men
- Educational classes, programs, and majors chosen based. on market, cost, and relevance to the educational mission
Three Tests for compliance
- Proportionality
- Demonstrate progress toward proportionality
- Demonstrate interest of underrepresented sex and being met
Proportionality
- Athletic opportunities must be proportionate to the gender distribution of the undergraduate enrollment
Demonstrate progress toward proportionality
- Five-year plans?
Schools have to show that they have a plan set for what they are going to do to reach gender proportionality
Demonstrate interests of underrepresented sex are being met?
- Show there is not demand?
Two ways to achieve proportionality
- Add women’s programs (costs money)
- Reduce men’s programs (save money)
Football often drives decision
- Football generates revenue
- Teams of 85 men make gender proportionality difficult
- Easier and more cost-efficient to eliminate men’s non-revenue sports than to add women’s sports
Gender equity as ethical?
Teleologist - Values of fairness and justice
consequentialist - more positive than negative results for most people
Deontologist - do we want the universal principle that all are treated equally? Golden rule - would you want to be discriminated against because of your gender?
Gender equity as Strategic?
- Male revenue-producing sports may get the resources, facilities, etc.
Gender equity in media
- underrepresentation/coverage of women’s sports and female athletes
- Representation as hyper-sexualized rather than for competitive achievement
- Underrepresentation in media (editors, gatekeepers, reporters)
- Economic incentive to cover women’s sports
Circular argument
- Do women’s sports lack coverage because of a lack of audience interest or is lack of audience interest due to lack of coverage
Is equal coverage ethical?
Teleologist - values fairness
Consequentialist - more positive to society in covering both genders equally
Deontologist - would you want your gender to be the reason for the lack of coverage
Lack of equal coverage as strategic
- Some improvements but still belief that the market doesn’t support coverage
- Hope with the new media, blogs, fans, ESPNW
Representation patterns in media coverage of women
Lower production values:
Worse TV setup, worse officials, B list announcers, no replay, etc.
Representation patterns in media coverage of women
Gender marking:
“Lady Irish”/labeling by gender, Homets vs. Lady Homets, some are inherently male (Bulls, Mustangs, etc.)
Representation patterns in media coverage of women
Infantilization:
Showing female athletes as childish (wouldn’t have obtained success with a male figure)
Representation patterns in media coverage of women
Non-sports related aspects:
Athlete marriages, engagements, etc.
Representation patterns in media coverage of women
Comparisons to men’s sports:
Comparing women to men(Serena Williams vs. Roger Federer), Men’s vs women’s basketball, point of reference in men’s sports
Representation patterns in media coverage of women
Compulsory heterosexuality and appropriate femininity:
Having to demonstrate you’re a women and straight off the court (Serena Williams pregnancy photos)
Representation patterns in media coverage of women
Sexualization:
Sexualizing women’s bodies with poses or provocative photos, Sports Illustrated bikini editors, feel to prove sexuality through these thing and it makes them extra money to supplement low salaries
Representation patterns in media coverage of women
Ambivalence:
Attention is diverted
Representation patterns in media coverage of women
Model Citizens:
Ignoring athletic accomplishments for participation in humanitarian or being a good person, valuing them for that and not just their athletic capabilities
