Gender: Masculinity & Femininity

What is masculinity & types?

Behaviours, attributes associated with/expected of men and boys
- there is hemogenic and toxic

What is hemogenic masculinity?

A form of masculinity that is based on male dominance and female oppression
- expects and dictates heterosexuality

What is toxic masculinity?

Expectations of men that have a negative impact on both men and society at large
- women objectified & treated as conquests

What are some elements of dominant representation of masculinity in sports?

- strength & power
- aggression
- virility
- acceptance of pain (injury)
- dominance over opponents
- win at all costs (e.g., sacrifice of bodies)

- rationality over emotionality (e.g., stoicism)
^ the endurance of pain or hardship without the display of feelings and without complaint

- heterosexuality
- machismo (i.e., talk about pain after or in a way so people know you're playing through it)

How does dominant masculinity influence boys and men? (5)

It limits conceptualization of manliness & masculinity (toxic masculinity)
- mental toughness narratives
^ promotes macho, masculine, pathogenic culture of sport - "if one is not mentally tough, then one is weak"
^ playing through physical pain, but also mental health challenges
^ this impacts mental, physical, emotional, and social health

- can contribute to disordered eating, body dysmorphia, use of performance enhancing substances
- impact on interpersonal relationships (domestic abuse, SA, get away with it)
- can lead to self-harm, attempted and death by suicide
- can lead to abuse of / violence against others

How can we improve sport masculinity?

- Address disrespect by calling people in/out for their behavior/attitudes.

- Allow men to express a wide range of emotions.

- Encourage men to demonstrate nurturing, compassion, and caring behavior toward themselves and others

What is femininity?

Behviours, attributes associated with / expected of women and girls

What is femininity in sport (performing gender)?

- aesthetics (can lead to disordered eating)

- women's bodies, performance of gender moves beyond athletic performance & becomes political (e.g., body hierarchies)

- context dependent (e.g., figure skating vs. hockey)

- women who appear heterosexually feminine are privileged over women perceived as masculine (ex: ice hockey)

- Serena Williams is black, curvy & has masculine characteristics that make her more criticized over Eugenie Bouchard who is white, thin, "attractive", & feminine

How are women and girls impacted in sport and movement cultures?

- Continued struggle for economic support and media representation (e.g., Cooky, Kane, Lavoi, Messner, etc.)

- Fewer opportunities for girls and women (athlete; coach; official; administrator)

- Continued promotion of certain activities being more “appropriate” for girls and women & idea of cosmetic fitness (e.g., Cooky, Kane, Lavoi)

- Implementation or continued promotion of rules and regulations that are based on false assumptions (men vs. women ice hockey or clothes differ for both genders)

Why is sport not "empowering" for girls?

There isn't equal investment in sports for men and women, girls drop out in adolescence
- there can't be empowerment with all these challenges by society even if they fight their own personal battles