The inquiry question I chose for this semester is “How does gender inequality affect/impact sports?” I chose this question because I love playing sports, and this is a topic that is extremely important to me. Here is my Semester 1 project plan:
Topic 1: The difference between men and women’s sports media coverage
Topic 2: The difference in salary between men and women
Topic 3: The different uniform requirements between men and women
(These topics are considered as mini questions that will help me gather information to lead to a somewhat clearer answer to my overall question)
Three Steps:
1. Why do men and women have a difference in sports media coverage?
Finding an answer to one of the main points of this inequality question will help
answer one of the key points in my inquiry question. Sports media coverage corresponds to my second question/topic (salary gap). Without media coverage, salary gap lacks. Men’s sports have higher media coverage, podcasts, after shows etc. This is a huge part of inequality in sports.
2. Why do men and women have a difference in salary gap (in sports)?
Finding an answer to this highly asked question is one of the main parts of my research. Men and women have a huge salary gap in the sports world, for doing the same sport. I prediction I have made in the past is people may not like watching women’s sports, but they are realistically only on during big tournaments or games like the Olympics. If people love women’s games in the Olympics, then why can’t they be on during regular league games, like the NHL, NFL etc?
3. Why do men and women have different uniform requirements?
As many girls and women in sports know, uniforms can be such a confusing
and unfortunate topic. For example, in field hockey men are allowed to wear shorts, but women are restricted to only wearing skorts. That is just one of many examples of how women are restricted, but men have more choice and freedom.
Links that will help my research:
- https://athelogroup.com/blog/gender-inequality-in-sports/#:~:text=There%20is%20not%20just%20inequality,100%25%20more%20than%20female%20athletes.
2. https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2019/may/09/i-thought-the-main-issue-in-womens-sports-was-equal- pay-i-was-wrong
3. https://silverstreakonline.com/opinion/2020/12/15/women-treated-differently-in-sports/
4. https://goalfive.com/blogs/news/history-of-gender-inequality-in-sports
5. https://womeninsport.org/about-us/sexism-in-sport/
My inquiry question this semester will have implications to other individuals because it displays an issue that has gone on for years. Inequality as one, but going into further detail and recognizing the gender inequality in sports. In our communities, most people are involved in a sport whether it’s at school or association. From my own peers I have heard that they have to wear extra clothing or gear that’s different from boys. There are countless smaller topics that can go on forever, but my hope with my main question is to help uncover why people doing the exact same sport can’t have the same rules, play, and attention.
Hello Rhea ,
while i do not play sports i have always asked myself this question, why is it that women are discriminated against in sports.I am interested to see why there are so many uniform requirements for women even if the majority desire change, who decides these uniform requirements?I am exited to see what you find out. Here is a link that could be helpful in with your research.
-Sammie
https://www.npr.org/2021/07/23/1019343453/women-sports-sexualization-uniforms-problem
Hello rhea!! I love your post, I think this question is one of the coolest ones I have seen. For one of the questions you aked about the uniforms…I HAVE ALWAYS WONDERED ABOUT THIS, like i simply do not get why the uniforms are so different, when they are the SAME sport!
http://thesportdigest.com/2022/09/do-female-athletes-choose-different-uniforms-than-their-male-counterparts/ I found this article about the uniforms and i found that it goes into detail of the audiance as well! I hope this helps your research!! Good luck!!
Hi Rhea, great post!
You chose a very important topic that is very present in our society. I really liked how you explained each step in a lot of detail. Even though I’ve never played sports or was into watching games, I’ve heard about many situations in which female athletes were discriminated against. For example, connecting to the 3rd step of your research, I remember how a while ago Norwegian volleyball players protested about having to wear short and tight shorts. Did you hear about it as well?
Here are some resources that might help for your research:
https://www.npr.org/2021/07/23/1019343453/women-sports-sexualization-uniforms-problem
https://digiday.com/media/why-growth-of-womens-sports-coverage-and-advertiser-interest-is-bogged-down-by-small-steps-forward/
Sofia B.
Hi Rhea!
Personally, I am not the sportiest person ever, but I am a huge fan of equality. I myself have also always wondered about this question. I feel like this question is a very important question that has only recently started popping up in the media. It irritates me a lot that the media and society has just started to recognize this issue. I am very invested in your topic and cannot wait to see your future blog posts!
Here are some sources that could help you with your research:
https://www.uplifterinc.com/gender-inequality-in-sports-how-to-grow-female-sports-audiences
https://www.deccanherald.com/sunday-herald/sh-top-stories/women-in-sports-sexism-or-fair-play-1106931.html
– Hannah 🙂