Gender Masculinity And Sexual Double Standards - 1795 Words

Society has specific expectations of females. Once a baby is born and the sex is revealed they are dressed in blue or pink, given gifts of trucks and soldiers or dolls and animals, and referred to as strong and alert or soft and delicate (Malszecki and Cavar, 2005. 161). Society demands, or at least demanded, compliance to the social archetypes of gender which you are bombarded with from birth. ‘Traditional’ gender stereotypes have remained consistent over many years, and, despite a rise in awareness and the challenge to these social norms, gender stereotypes raise issues with body image, labelling and genderfication. Both genders are subject to these stereotypes, where they are expected not only to accept them, but act within them, which is where we find the sexual double standards faced by sportspersons in the modern day. This paper will look into Hegemonic Masculinity and the Sexual Double Standards in modern and latter-day Sport Culture with particular focus on the sexual double standards faced by female sportspersons both past and present using Johnathan Zimmerman’s article â€Å"The Double Standard of Sport Sexuality†. As Connell has stated, contemporary ‘hegemonic masculinity’ can be defined to include â€Å"subordination of women† along with â€Å"the marginalization of gay men† and the need for â€Å"connecting of masculinity to toughness and competitiveness† (Connell, 1990: 94) Connell furthers this by explaining that ‘masculinities’ are â€Å"configurations of practice [†¦] that includesShow MoreRelatedThe Feminization Of Love, By Francesca M. Cancian Essay1691 Words   |  7 Pagesdefined by their sexual behaviors. With this, the idea of love and romance was feminized; and women were considered the ones who expressed their emotions, accepted strong feelings, and remained pure. 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