Sports And Gender Analysis

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The structure of social stratification and its effects have a large impact on the society in which it exists, as well as the individuals within the society. Social stratification is a structure in which members of a society are placed in order of importance according to certain factors. This structure tends to bring about inequality because individuals are placed on the scale of superiority based on their ability to access required resources (Murray, Linden, & Kendall, 2014: pp. 208). It is important to note that within the definition of social stratification, education and health care are considered resources; the term is not limited to material goods (Murray, Linden, & Kendall, 2014: pp. 208). Control over resources determines what social …show more content…

306). Gender is frequently determined through social interaction. A person may use commonly known feminine or masculine attributes presented by another individual as clues to define that individual’s gender (Westbrook & Schilt, 2014). You can see the social significance of gender when watching sports. Sports that are considered masculine and played by mostly male athletes require brutish strength, while “girly” sports require a high level of grace. This has helped reinforce the idea that women are less physically capable than men, making men the more able of the two genders (Mason, 2013). The socially constructed concept of gender frequently gives way to stereotypes that characterize women as inferior to men (Murray, Linden, & Kendall, 2014: pp. …show more content…

Race is a non-biological concept that distinguishes and categorizes people based on their physical appearance (Murray, Linden, & Kendall, 2014: pp. 274). The issue with race is that the blatant acknowledgement of physical dissimilarities between people opens up the possibility of discrimination based on those differences (Murray, Linden, & Kendall, 2014: pp. 274). Cultural background, rather than physical features, determines what ethnicity one possesses. Characteristics of a culture including traditions, religion, and language are what distinguish the identity of one ethnic group from another (Murray, Linden, & Kendall, 2014: pp. 274-275). A person’s quality of life is greatly impacted by their race and/or ethnicity. Certain stereotypes and judgements are associated with certain groups, which may leave the members of these groups limited to what opportunities they are offered in society (Murray, Linden, & Kendall, 2014: pp.