Department of Kinesiology and Physical Education

WILFRID LAURIER UNIVERSITY

Department of Kinesiology and Physical Education

KP340: Sport and Gender

Room: Bricker Academic 210

Time: M/W/F 11:30 – 12:20

Instructor: Dr. Rob Lake

Office: BA 519

Tel: (519) 884-0710 ext. 4773

Email:

Office hours: Mon 12:30 – 1:30 or by appointment

Teaching Assistant: John Koumaris

Email:

Course Description

The aim of this course is to develop student understanding of gender through the powerful and increasingly relevant social context of sport. Students will engage in critical discussion to develop an understanding of not only how sport as part of popular culture is ‘gendered’, but also how the curious sport norms perpetuate ideologies surrounding sexuality, in terms of the body, femininity and masculinity. The role of sport and leisure within the wider feminist movements since the 19th century are critically examined, to give a historical perspective to these subject areas. Issues such as the ‘hero worship’ of male athletes and connected issues of sexual violence, the role of sport in creating heterogeneous social conceptions of normality in terms of sexuality, and the role of the sports films, TV and sports media in creating and reproducing gender norms, values and identities will also be examined. Case studies of female athletes will be introduced and studied in the context of their significant roles in wider feminist struggles or for what their achievements highlighted about sexuality and gender inequalities at the time. In general, students will extend their critical understanding of sport and its perceived and often publicised role as a ‘positive’ in modern society, and also introduce themselves to an interesting and increasingly relevant social context through which to understand gender in wider society, recognising sport as both a platform to challenge and reproduce its associated dominant ideologies for both males and females.

Reading

This course has the following core text, available to purchase at the WLU Bookstore:

Young, K. & White, P. (2007). Sport and Gender in Canada (2nd Edition). Toronto: Oxford University Press.

This course also has a number of other recommended texts, which will supplement your understanding of key topics in this subject area:

Anderson, E. (2009). Inclusive masculinity: The changing nature of masculinities. New York, NY: Routledge.

Hall, A. (1996). Feminism and sporting bodies: Essays on theory and practice. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics.

Hargreaves, J. (1994). Sporting females: Critical issues in the history and sociology of women’s sports. London: Routledge.

Hargreaves, J. (2000). Heroines of sport: The politics of difference and identity. London: Psychology Press.

Lenskyj, H. (2003). Out on the Field: Sport, Gender and Sexualities. Toronto: Women’s Press.

Messner, M. A. (2002). Taking the field: Women, men, and sports. Minneapolis, MN: University of Minnesota Press.

Each week, students will have to search for further readings set out below (see Lecture Schedule), all of which will be available online through a search using Ebsco, Sport Discus, LA84, publisher search, Google Scholar or other means of academic search engine. Others might be made available as a PDF on My Learning Space. These readings will be geared toward the following week’s lecture, and will help inform students of lecture content. They will be discussed during class, and students will be awarded marks (see Class Participation and Contribution below) for their involvement in these discussions. Students are encouraged to prepare themselves for these discussions by reading the material as advised.

Assessments

Grades for this course will be based on the following assessments:

1.  Mid-term Exams x 2 – short answer (Week 5) 30%

2.  Oral Presentation – in groups of 2 or 3 (due Week 8) 30%

Presentations to take place from Week 8 – Week 12

3.  Final Essay – 2000 words (due Week 13) 30%

4.  Participation in group discussions (throughout the course) 10%

Mid-Terms: 30%

These will take place on the Monday and Wednesday of Week 5. My TA and I will try and have exams graded and feedback prepared for you by the Friday class.

Exams will be 50 minutes long, during which students will be asked to answer 3 short answer questions, out of a possible six. Grades for the exam will be based on the quality of knowledge presented and quantity of information provided, the use of academic references and examples/case studies to support points made. Students are encouraged to study from lecture notes, textbook readings and other supplementary readings as specified in the lecture outline (see Lecture Schedule below)

Oral Presentation: 30%

Students are to form themselves into groups of 2 or 3 (depending on student numbers) and prepare a 30-40 minute oral presentation, done as a group. The presentation can be on any aspect from one of the following subject areas:

Representations of gender in sports media

Constructions of masculinity in sport

Constructions of femininity in sport

Homosexuality in sport and homophobia

Sexual violence/abuse in sport

Constructions of gender in deviant sport subcultures

Gender dimensions in new sports cultures

Gender dimensions in mixed-gender/co-ed sports

No more than 2 pairs can research a topic from the same subject area, so the allocation of this will be done on a first-come, first-served basis.

Within these broad subject areas, students can choose to present on anything they consider relevant, for example, an overall presentation on historical developments in the topic; a case study of a particular sport, person or nation; a focus on a specific relevant historical era or even, etc. It is recommended that students devise a particular research question or aim to structure the presentation around. Guidance on this will be provided throughout the course, and tutorials/meetings with the instructor during week 7 will be specifically geared toward this end.

Note 1) This is an academic presentation, so it must demonstrate evidence of wider reading and detailed critical analysis using academic sources (i.e. peer-reviewed journal articles and books). These should be clearly marked in the presentation, and a reference list of the sources used should be included at the end.

Note 2) Marks ARE awarded for the ‘presentation’ aspect, so your creativity will be rewarded. The use of some multi-media and audio-visual material is recommended.

Note 3) Marks will be divided in the following ways:

Total 100%: 40%– Strength of Argument; 25% – Support from Literature; 10% – Answers to Questions from the Audience (at the end of your presentation – see Note 4); 25% – Creativity, Display, Presentation, Style and Professionalism

Note 4) Students are encouraged to ask their peers questions at the end of their presentation. Approximately 10 extra minutes will be allocated for this purpose. This presents ideal opportunities to gain marks (up to 10%) and also to demonstrate your in-depth knowledge of your chosen topic. Questions should be encouraged rather than feared, therefore, and keep in mind that your peers will receive marks for the quality of their answers, so ask good questions. It is important that we encourage a healthy and supportive academic environment.

Note 5) Marks for the presentation will be shared among both members. In case of a dispute, I will allow group members to divide the final mark themselves as they deem acceptable. (i.e. if a mark of 70 was given to a pair of students, students can divide it 65/75 if they feel one person deserved more. Students are encouraged to come to an agreement without the need to speak to me. Only as a last resort will I act as mediator for any major disagreements. I should stress that the onus is on you to work out any problems for yourselves.

Final Essay: 30%

You are to write a 2000-word case study essay on one key female sporting icon (or group of key sporting icons, like a team or pair of sisters) whose gender or sexuality played a major role in their own sporting history and/or in the broader context of socio-political movements (i.e. the feminist movement, gay rights movement, etc.). You need to answer the following questions:

1)  Who were they (brief background info) and what did they achieve in their sport?

2)  What overall impact did they have on their sport?

3)  Most important section! What impact did they have in wider society, in the broader context of socio-political movements; i.e. in what ways did their achievements transcend the sporting context?

·  For this you should consider broader social, cultural, political and economic developments in history and what role the athlete played in them

Choice of Sporting Icon

Students can choose any athlete in the last 150 years, from any country and from any sport or physical activity. E.g. a late-19th century female mountaineer would be an acceptable choice, as would a 21st century WNBA player. However, the further back in history you go to find your athlete, the more impressed I will be inevitably with your analysis. It is arguably harder to write about a different historical period than the present one, so if you want an ‘A’, I suggest avoiding an athlete from you own generation. That said, an extremely well researched essay on Caster Semenya would warrant an ‘A’, for example, but arguably a more thorough and detailed analysis would be required in such an instance.

I suggest doing some preliminary research on a handful of different athletes, and then choosing one – a simple Wikipedia search would probably suffice for that. The choice is entirely yours, though I have compiled a list of possibilities based on essays from previous students to whet your appetite. This is by no means a comprehensive list, and of course you can choose athletes not on this list:

Hassiba Boulmerka – Algerian 1500m runner and Muslim female-rights activist, early 1990s

Lottie Dod – English all-round athlete, arguably the most dominant female athlete of all time, 1890s

Florence-Griffith Joyner – controversial American sprinter, 1990s

Nadia Comaneci – Romanian gymnast, 1970s

Billie Jean King – American tennis player and lesbian feminist activist, 1960s & 70s

The Edmonton Grads – Canadian women’s basketball team, 1920s & 30s

Myrtle Cook – Canadian sprinter and journalist, 1920s & 30s; member of the Matchless Six

Suzanne Lenglen – French tennis player and fashion icon, 1920s

All-American Girls Professional Baseball League – pioneering baseball league for women, during WWII – late 1940s

Rachel Heyhoe Flint – British cricketer and founder of the women’s cricket world cup, 1970s

Dick Kerr Ladies – hugely successful women’s soccer team in England, inter-war years and post-WWII

Alice Coachman – black female athlete in the 1940s, and first African-American woman to win Olympic gold

Agnes Keleti – Jewish Hungarian Olympic gymnast

Karen Koch – first woman professional hockey player, 1960s-70s

Preston Rivulettes – hugely successful women’s hockey team, 1930s

‘Hurricane’ Hazel McCallion – Canadian hockey player in the 1920s and current mayor of Mississauga

Fanny Blankers-Koen – superb Dutch all-round athlete, 1940s & 50s

Babe Didrikson Zaharias – American all-round athlete, 1930s-50s

Alice Milliat – Olympic rower and founder of FSFI

‘Bobbie’ Rosenfeld – athlete in the 1920s and 30s; member of the Matchless Six

Dorothea Lambert Chambers – English tennis player and author, 1900s – 20s

Barbara-Ann Scott – Canadian figure-skater and media sensation, 1940s & 50s

Jackie Joyner-Kersee – controversial American sprinter, 1980s

Pat Summitt – head coach of the Tennessee Volunteers

Tanni Grey-Thompson – English wheelchair athlete, 1990s

Althea Gibson – American tennis player and first black women to win a major, 1950s

Olga Korbut – Belarusian gymnast and media sensation, 1970s

Martina Navratilova – defected Czech turned American lesbian tennis player, 1980s – 2000s

Cathy Freeman – Australian Aboriginal 400m runner, late 1990s – early 2000s

Annie Londonderry – cycled around the world in 1890s

Ethel Catherwood – high jumper in the 1920s and 30s; member of the Matchless Six

Renee Richard – transgender (from male to female) tennis player in the 1970s

Advice for students who want an ‘A’: Don’t just do research on the athlete in question!! You need to understand the historical period within which they were active, so engage with general history literature alongside general sports history literature.

Note: You are not permitted to write your essay on a person that you spoke about for your presentation.

Class Participation and Contribution (10%)

Throughout the course, students are encouraged to participate in group discussions and debates, answer questions and engage in the material in class. Students who demonstrate confidence and willingness to do so and who contribute meaningfully and relevantly will score highly in this element, which is a subjective mark based on your overall oral/spoken contributions to classroom discussions. At times, specific opportunities will be set aside for this purpose, but at other times, showing a willingness to engage, rather than sit quietly or, worse, engage instead with laptops or cell phones, will be rewarded accordingly. Therefore, it is important that students engage with the course material, read the relevant readings and come prepared.

Tips for doing well: The mark for this element is subjectively and qualitatively determined by me; marks are not given per number of times a student contributes, as it were. My advice would be that if you want to score highly in this element, you make yourself distinguishable. Sitting toward the front of class helps (you are perhaps less likely to get distracted and you also appear bigger that way!), as does getting involved in class discussions when opportunities arise. Simply, if you make an effort both in and outside of class, you will score highly.

Lecture Schedule