Traditional Gender Stereotypes

Description of the Dissertation Topic

The world we live in today is very much different from the world that was years ago. The society we adhere to expects men and women to accept, trust in and execute particular gender roles and stereotypes that have already been well-established. For example, in the western culture, men are expected to be strong, independent, dominant, in control and athletic where as women are expected to to be quiet, obedient and inferior. While ‘the classic’ gender stereotypes have remained rather consistent over the past few centuries they have been challenged and confronted by several women and feminists. One particular field in which traditional gender stereotypes have been judged and analysed is sports and physical

They tell people how they are supposed to act, look, and even what one’s interests should be. (Amanda R. Hoiness) When people breach the stereotypes and mores associated with biased roles, they are considered to be odd or “other than normal”. Female athletes must balance gender roles. Because of this added pressure, female athletes show a higher amount of role conflict than male athletes. Conflict was also found to be more prevalent for female athletes participating in traditionally masculine sports such as baseball, football, soccer, hockey, and basketball (Amanda R. Hoiness). Female athletes have a habit to use more emotion-focused coping strategies which can create more stress. As more and more women and girls across the country are competing in sports and athletic events, the popularity of those competing in traditionally masculine sports is increasing. Sports such as football, rugby, and basketball are no longer the exclusive province of male athletes. (Amanda R. Hoiness) Participation in sports that require what are considered typically “male characteristics,” such as speed and strength can present an “image problem” for many female athletes. (Amanda R. Hoiness) While some research suggests enhanced self perceptions of female athletes participating in cross-gender sports the perceptions of others may not be as positive. Female athletes are often seen as being more like the typical male in terms of characteristics, attitudes, and behaviours. (Amanda R. Hoiness) Female athletes may also get rid of typical feminine behaviours after they follow the masculine behaviours that accompany their sport. While these changes in themselves do not alwasy represent a negative outcome the negative reaction of others can result in unfavourable consequences in terms of the treatment of female athletes. (Amanda R.