KIN160 - Module 4

Sex

A classificatory scheme that is intended to divide humans into groups based on their reproduction capacities

-MORE FOCUSED ON THE BIOLOGY

Gender

The cultural expectations about behaviour, attitudes, and appearance that are imposed on people in relation to their physical sex

-FOCUSES MORE ON THE SOCIALLY CONSTRUCTED IDEA

-Since gender is socially constructed, this means that gender ideas and norms are invented and reinvented over the course of time in particular social and culture contexts

Transsexual

People who identify with the sex that they WERE NOT assigned at birth

-These people sometimes engage in gender-affirming medical interventions or hormones to align their bodies with gender identities

Intersex

A person in whom sexual differentiation is ambiguous or incomplete

Transgender

an umbrella term describing people whose gender identity or expression differs from that associated with their birth sex

-Sometimes identifying as non-binary or gender fluid

What are the two ways that sex segregation in sport occurs?

1. Separating events for women and men
2. Sport Typing

Is there sex testing for males? Why?

NOPE

Homophobia

The fear/hatred of homosexuals and same sex relations

Who was Judith Butler and what was she known for?

Known for her definition of HETEROSEXUAL MATRIX:

A term that describes the interlocking relationships between bodies, identities and DESIRES

She argued that this interlocking relationship is VERY PROBLEMATIC as it normalizes particular gender identities and sexual expressions

Ex. If you are born a FEMALE Then you express yourself as a feminine gender identify and have heterosexual attraction/desire for males and VICE VERSA This can be directly tied to SPORT TYPING

If you are biologically male and you perform a sport that is typically deemed FEMININE (gymnastics), then automatically, your SEXUAL IDENTITY IS QUESTIONED

Heterosexual matrix serves to police the WAY WE MOVE OUR BODIES

-Do we move our bodies in gender appropriate ways? And if we don't.. Then our sexual identity comes into question

Sport Typing

Refers to the assumption that some sports are better suited for girls and women and others are better suited for boys and men

-More violent sports are better suited for males
-More elegant sports are better suited for women

Biological Determinism; give an example

Explains complex human behaviour, such as athletic performance, as a product of human biology

"Ex. Boys have more testesterone and therefore are more likely to engage in power muscle based type sports because of their biological body"

-THIS IS PROBLEMATIC BECAUSE WE SHOULD BE THINKING ABOUT THE BIOLOGICAL IN RELATION TO THE SOCIO AND CULTURAL

Who is Coco Gauff, what is she known for?

A sensational teenage female tennis player

-Very outspoken about BLM movements and gender discrimination on twitter
-Emphasizes to fans to NOT REDUCE HER ABILITIES TO HER SEX AS A FEMALE, base it off skill instead

Heteronormativity, define and give an example

Refers to the assumption that heterosexuality is not just more common, but IS ALSO NORMAL

Many of our social institutions like education, law, media, popular music or sport "privilege and value heterosexuality more than other forms of sexuality identity or expression

EXAMPLE:

-Our television shows, movies, news ALL REPRESENT HETERONORMATIVITY IS THE "NORM"

Heterosexual Matrix

A term that describes the interlocking relationships between bodies, identities and DESIRES

Judith Butler argued that this interlocking relationship is VERY PROBLEMATIC as it normalizes particular gender identities and sexual expressions

Ex. If you are born a FEMALE Then you express yourself as a feminine gender identify and have heterosexual attraction/desire for males and VICE VERSA This can be directly tied to SPORT TYPING

If you are biologically male and you perform a sport that is typically deemed FEMININE (gymnastics), then automatically, your SEXUAL IDENTITY IS QUESTIONED

Heterosexual matrix serves to police the WAY WE MOVE OUR BODIES

-Do we move our bodies in gender appropriate ways? And if we don't.. Then our sexual identity comes into question

Heteronomartive Matrix explains the interlocking relationship between three things; name them

Bodies, Identities, and Desires

Patriarchy

An unequal hiearchical social system in which men have more power than women

In mainstream Western society, both sex and gender are [....] categories;

BINARY CATEGORIES

-Each category allows for only two possible ways of classifying people

Cisgender

Refers to people whose gender identity lines up with the sex assigned to them at birth

Cisgender identities are the NORM in our society

Who was Pierre de Coubertin?

He is the FOUNDER OF THE MODERN OLYMPICS

Saw women's roles as spectators and NOT COMPETITORS

Social Constructionism

A preferred social scientific framework that explains social behaviour as an outcome of social and historical forces

Came to prominence as a critique of biological determinism, it emerged as a means of explaining the tremendous cross cultural and historical variations in what counts as "normal" masculine or "normal" feminine behaviour

As a theoretical tool, social constructionism reminds us that what is considered natural and normal in one place or time might be viewed and experienced as ABNORMAL IN ANOTHER, reflect's CW Mills's concept of the Sociological Imagination

What is Hegemonic Masculinity and who developed the term? What does the ideal emphasize?

It is a dominant and "idealized form of masculinity" that has achieved broad public acceptance and operates as "common sense", serving to define what men SHOULD be like

-Hegemonic 'ideal' subordinates femininity and other ways of being a man

Developed by R.W Connell and emphasizes physical strength (not too much), toughness, occupational success, and competitiveness

Sport has come to be the leading defining of masculinity in mass culture

The IOC did not start recognizing women's events in the olympics until [......] and did not permit women ski jumpers at the Olympics until the [....] games in Sochi

1988, 2014

The fact that women's events finally made it to the Olympic schedule was the result of COURT CHALLENGES AND EXTENSIVE LOBBYING by female ski jumpers and their advocates

What is the problem with sex testing in sport?

There is no exact standard by which one can determine exactly who is and who is not a women

-In 2018, the IAAF introduced new rules that would prevent female athletes with so-called elevated levels of testosterone from racing in middle-distance events
-Athletes who do not wish to reduce their testosterone levels through hormone therapy or other medical interventions face a difficult choice: to compete against men, to change events, or to drop out of sport

Ex. Caster Seymena

What is the Stockholm Consensus?

2004:

Developed by the IOC, permits the participation of fully transitioned trans athletes, athletes who have undergone surgeries and taken hormones for at LEAST TWO YEARS to align their bodies with their gender identities

2015:

Updated to endorse the idea that trans athletes HAVE THE RIGHT TO PARTICIPATE IN INTERNATIONAL SPORT EVENTS WITHOUT HAVING TO UNDERGO SURGERY

-Trans athletes may only compete in women's events after ONE year of hormone therapy

Name some sport governing organizations that have adopted policies to address the inclusion of trans athletes

CCAA - do not require athletes to have had surgery BUT requires athletes to have been on hormone therapy for at least ONE YEAR

U Sports - do not require athletes to undergo hormone therapy

What is the difference in terms of policies for CCAA and U Sports?

CCAA - do not require athletes to have had surgery BUT requires athletes to have been on hormone therapy for at least ONE YEAR

U Sports - do not require athletes to undergo hormone therapy

Feminism

Refers to a social, political, and cultural movement that has as a primary goal the resolution of inequities related to sex and gender and the elimination of oppression and discrimination experienced by women and girls

-There were multiple 'feminism' waves across different historical periods

Known as the women's liberation movement

For Bell Hooks, the goal of feminist activism and feminist thought is a world without [....] and [....]

oppression and domination

Intersectionality

A theoretical approach that tries to understand how different categories of identity and different structure of power, such as ableism, racism, sexism, and class are intertwined

Sex/Gender System; Who coined this term?

A term coined by Gayle Rubin to refer to the cultural processes by which sex (biological reproductive capacity) is transformed into gender (expressions of masculinity or femininity)

Who is Gabi Dixson and what is she known for?

Dixson is 2nd in the world for the SECOND LONGEST Hercules Hold

2 440lb steel pillars

Who is Ilona Maher and what is she known for?

Renowed US women's rugby player

People call her masculine based on her facial features and because of this, she wears RED LIPSTICK ON THE FIELD as it makes her feel strong and empowered

Who is Gabe Stone Shayer?

A male black dancer who participated in ballet

A male black dancer who participated in ballet

Gabe Stone Shayer

Renowed US women's rugby player

People call her masculine based on her facial features and because of this, she wears RED LIPSTICK ON THE FIELD as it makes her feel strong and empowered

Ilona Maher

NAME THE PERSON

2nd in the world for the SECOND LONGEST Hercules Hold

2 440lb steel pillars

Gabi Dixson

What was the purpose of Moss's "More than Meets the Eye" Study

The purpose of this study was to understand how Instagram influences the health and fitness understandings and practices of young women enrolled in Kinesiology degree programs

There were multiple waves of feminism, what did each wave focus on?

1st Wave 19th-20th Century

Focused on legal sites of women, particularly the right to vote

2nd Wave (1960s to early 1980s)

Focusing on equality; finding a way to end sex discrimination

3rd Wave (1990s to the first decade of 21st century)

Looking at feminism at being an intersectional (Social class, identity, and race influence your social identity)

4th Wave (Contemporary Moment)

What is postfeminism? What is it an example of?

Acknowledges the gains of feminism, but suggests it is no longer necessary because girls and women are empowered individuals with considerable choice and freedom

PoFem is an example of neoliberalism

Explain what digital body capital is

Builds on Bourdieu's theory of capitals

-Describes the capital gained through the size, shape, look, and style of the body
-Characterizes the capital gained through the body in online spaces such as INSTAGRAM

What does Levina & Arrigua state about online spaces?

Online spaces are a 'digital field of practice' with its own rules and regulations. This means that social media users must adhere to certain rules in order to accrue capital

Through Moss's 'More than Meets the Eye' study, what were the four rules governing the way in which women can GAIN BODY CAPITAL

1. Show Thy Body
2. Don't Get Caught Showing Thy Body
3. Enhance, but do not Edit the Body
4. Portray a Healthy Lifestyle

Rule 1 - Show Thy Body

Posts should feature aesthetically pleasing photos that fulfills contemporary bodily norms of female beauty

Rule 2 - Don't Get Caught Showing Thy Body

Encourages posts to be 'authentic' and 'natural' with pictures in the outdoor, doing something active and demonstrating some sort of physical skill as being natural

-Revealing pictures or indoor pictures at the gym came across as VAIN

Rule 3 - Do Not Edit the Body

NO EDITING THE PHOTO

Rule emphasizes one to work on their body, NOT CHANGE the way it looks via editing and photoshop

WORK ON IT IN REALITY AND CHANGE IT

Editing a photo makes you lose body capital

Rule 4 - Portray a Healthy Active Lifestyle

It is not enough to just look good, but we MUST ALSO SHOW A HEALTHY, HAPPY, ACTIVE LIFESTYLE ON INSTA

-Against people posting when they're sad/depressed
-Critical of those who have unrealistic body expectations

In Moss's 'More than meets the eye' study how many Instagram monthly users were there in 2019? 2022?

2019 - ONE BILLION MONTHLY USERS

2022 - 1.44 Billion, just shy of 1.5 billion

Postfeminism can be considered a [....][.....] of neoliberalism

gendered form

What year were women finally allowed in the Olympics, and who won gold?

1900 - Charlotte Cooper