Women in Sports & Political Institutions

A history of sport and women in sport in the United States illustrates how various social, economic, and political institutions impact the individuals who participate in sport. Historically, women have often been viewed as inferior to men with respect to physical prowess and athletic competition. Such values have been reinforces by a number of social, economic, and political institutions, from legislation and religious institutions to the media and athletic organizations. Without doubt, political institutions have had an enormous impact on women in sport and not always for the worse. According to Struna (2003), federal legislation like Title IX "has been credited with much of the growth in women's sports in the United Sates, [and] it has also helped to influence thinking about women's sports elsewhere in the world" (1221).

Political institutions are broader than just government and the courts. Colleges and universities are an important political voice as are the upper-classes whose women were primarily responsible for the entrance of women into sports via various clubs and organizations. Lower-class women were often denied access to such sporting organizations and clubs. As Struna (2003) argues, "Middle- and upper-class women�had access to the broadest range of sports and other recreations" (1222). This analysis will address the influence of political institutions on women in sports.

The influence of legislation on women's participation in sports cannot be underesti

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a slow death. Women are still not treated equally with males, even at colleges and universities regulated by Title IX. As Lopiano explains, "The penalty for noncompliance with Title IX is withdrawal of federal money. This penalty has never been applied, although most estimates are that 80 to 90 percent of all educational institutions are determined to be out of compliance" (1174). In the films we have viewed like Bend It Like Beckham and Love and Basketball, it is readily apparent how social institutions and social values, norms, and roles of women often repress identity and erode autonomy. Women are often marginalized as a result. In Love and Basketball (2000), Monica is viewed as a tomboy because she pursues a sports career and is not enamored of the typical things associated with teen girls, like getting flowers from her boyfriend after a fight. She demands at a young age to ride her own bike to school instead of ride with her boyfriend. When they both play college ball at USC, Monica is punished for the same aggression and skills the male basketball players are rewarded for. In Bend It Like Beckham, we see how often women are thought to be deviant when they would prefer to bend it like Beckham as opposed to staying in

Category: Government - W