Sport In The Construction Of Masculinity

Sport In The Construction Of Masculinity Gender studies is an interdisciplinary study which investigate different aspects of gender. Sport is one of the aspects that researchers in these years are trying to analyse in a gender perspective. It is believed that sport is socially conditioned based on many researches. This essay will examine sport contributing to the construction of masculinity by several ways, they are: gender stratification in tradition, homophobia in sport, sport as male bonding ritual, biased opportunities towards men and media influence. Further examples and elaborations will follow in each point to demonstrate sport is indeed a social constitution constructing masculinity. Sport has long been instituted as male dominated and masculine in orientation by a couple of reasons. First, the historical gender stratification throughout a century has established that sport is an institution constructing masculinity. We are living in a patriarchal society that male are always in superior status than female, from economic status to daily life. The society has embedded a concept that the role of women is to give birth and their only obligation is to take care of children. But in 20th century, women are no longer highly dependent on men, as more and more women have become labours in the market. It has shortened the distance between two sexes, but obviously gender inequality cannot be eliminated so easily. Bilrell and Cole (1990) have mentioned that superiority of physical fitness is the key factor of winning in sport, and sport is the main activities emphasis on the sexual differentiation. Since sport emphasizes a lot on strength and bravery, male are thought to per form well innately than women (Klein 1990). As a result, the male participating rate in sport in general is higher than women. It is no wonder that Zane Grey (1992) in his book wrote All boys love baseball. If they dont theyre not real boys. This concept was passed on from generation to generation and eventually sport becomes a site constructing masculinity. Second, homophobia is another factor constructing masculinity in sport. As mentioned in the previous paragraph, sport has somehow developed into a male hegemonic activity. Male who does not participate in sports are not regarded as real man, and female participating in sports are thought to be manlike. They may, therefore, be treated as homosexuals. In fact, in the traditional socialization process, men in the early age had learnt that male who does not perform in manly way may see as homosexual (Messner 1992). Athletics, no matter male or female, may sometimes make apparent or even exaggerated movement to show their masculinity and femininity, just because they are afraid of people confusing their gender identity. Ordinarily, males characteristics are tough, aggressive, competitive, physically strong, whereas women tend to show attractive appearance, to do make-up and wearing feminine clothing. The traditional association of physical strength, power and athleticism with masculinity causes many people to question the sexuality of women athletes. Former tennis star Chris Evert paid great attention to whether or not she acted like a woman in the court, and almost the end of her tennis career she finally willing to admit that she is an athlete (Woolum 1998). Though she is a tennis player, she tried to act like a woman so as to maintain her feminine image. When Evert evaluated on her early stage of career, she said she never feel like an athlete, she was just a person playing tennis (Woolum 1998). She would like to be a complete woman such as having nail polish and wearing fancy hair band, rather than a freak in others eyes. From this example, we have seen that sport is thought to be male-oriented. Since female athletes challenge traditional notions of femininity and their abilities are seen as stereotypically masculine, female athletes are always contending with homophobia so that they will not be labelled as lesbian. It, in turns, lessens females willingness to p articipate in sport. As for men, they tend to participating in sport in order to show their manhood and avoid categorized as gay. It is, therefore, understandable that sports is a site for the embodiment of masculinity because of its nature of male-oriented. Third, sports play an important role in masculinity because sport is constructed as male bonding ritual. Similar to fraternity and military, sport helps young boys making connections in their life (Fine 2000). As we all know, sport focuses a lot of competitiveness and aggression, or sometimes, even involves physical contact and collision in between athletes. These are the elements that enable the notion of masculinity and the hegemonic ideal to construct a boy into a real man. Burstyn (1999) believed that sport provided the kind of rituals of conquest and aggression that men with a weak sense of masculinity needed to symbolize, to make physical and palpable, the difference between a mans man and a mamas boy , which means sport is succeeded in socializing boys into manhood despite the absence of the family father (Burstyn 1999). Here we realize that sport is in fact served as an embodied ritual of confirming and strengthening mens gender identity. Even if some children may live in sin gle-parent families, they are still able to achieve manliness as sport can be a replacement of father for them to obtain masculinity. All men can group together to retain their manhood and to reassert their gender privilege via sport. Thus, we can conclude that sport is a bonding ritual for men to construct their masculinity. In addition, biased opportunity towards men is a way to gradually construct masculinity in sport. Traditionally we are told that girls are only suitable for activities which are related to the aesthetic side of sports such as ice cheerleading and skating. Females are not recommended to engage in high physical contact activities such as rugby, boxing and soccer. In the schooling stage, gender socialization and gender typing shaped teenagers how they should act based on their gender. Plausibly, self-fulfilling prophecy has occurred and these norms have shaped individuals behavior, which in turn shapes future expectations. This cycle has shaped our society into a male supremacy culture, and sport is an embodiment of this notion. The opportununties bias can be seen particularly in the professional ranks. Womens sport would never be at the top of the pirority when business companies looking to use sports to market their product (Person 2009). They concerned with earning money from the adv ertsing and they believed that the money return will not be as much if they invest in womens sport (Person 2009). The average salary can obviously indicate the inequality of opportunities within two sexes, men are able to earn 4 millions in average whereas women can only earn approximately 1.4% of men, around $55,000 in average. Without social and economical motivation, girls devote less time to the sport. As a result, sport become male domain and a site for constrcuting masculinity. Finally, media influence is a factor contributing to the masculine construction in sport. The Amateur Athletic Foundation of Los Angeles has done a research (Wilson 1999) claiming that over 90% of American teenagers consume sports media. Since sports are mostly dominated by men, from the athletes and coaches to the commentators and reporters, media is definitely influential enough to transmit ideas about masculinity and maleness. And when it comes to reporting sport news, the newsworthiness is the main point reporters are focusing on. Mens sport is generally believed to have more attention and enthusiasm from the public, compared with womens sport. Sometimes after a match has finished, reporters are able to immediately interview male athletes in the changing room, it is, however, impossible to do the same thing on women. It is, therefore, clear that there are lots of bias and limitations on sports media which ultimately contribute to the construction of masculinity in our society. In conclusion, sport was demonstrated as being a dominant social institution which naturalized mens power and privilege over women. It has marginalized and trivialized female athletes, which sequentially help reproducing the ideological of masculinity in sport.

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Speech

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Hello and thank you all for coming! Today, we are here to commemorate the man, or Genius rather, who goes by the name of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. At the early age of four, he could learn a piece of music in a mere thirty minutes. At six years old, he began writing his first symphonies. Oh, the joy I would have if I could just sit and talk with him about his passion for music. We would talk about how he structures his compositions or about how easy he thought it was to compose a piece of music in only a short amount of time.Mozart’s mind is almost magical in my eyes. The precision he put into every one of his symphonies and operas emulates the passion he must have felt for his work. Of course it goes with out mention that he had his struggles every now and then, especially with matters of money. But through it all, he still managed to bring the world a wide array of music, which we can honestly say has defined a major portion of the â€Å"classical† period of music. Many composers that followed him sought to emulate his style, but it seems to me that there was no one greater than Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.As a classically trained opera singer, I have experienced the joy and struggle that accompanies any Mozart compilation. As I began learning his work, I was able to step into the shoes of one of Mozart’s opera singers. I imagined him encouraging my progress and watching my every achievement. Having learned many of his operas, I wondered how many he actually wrote in his life and what went into making them. I also thought of how his work had affected my life and the life of others.And, because of this my friends, I am here today to show you why Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart deserves a day of recognition for what he has given us, and to immortalize his life and works, and for his influence in my life. His operas are enchanting and unforgettable, but more importantly, the admiration I gained from learning his operas throughout m y life has given me a greater respect for the love of classical music. Mozart had many followers of his talented music, and of course, as he traveled for work, he had to accommodate to them.He composed many operas in German, Latin, and Italian. The traveling started when he was young. At only seven years old, his father would take him and his sister on tour across Europe, which gave him the chance to perform and to absorb many different styles of music. Since Wolfgang was a fast learner, he was quick to acknowledge the many musical idioms he had learned and that in turn helped him setup his own style of music. When he began freelancing his music, he sparked a great interest among people because they had never experienced the â€Å"Mozart† way of music.If he hadn’t embarked on his own path of self-fulfillment, I wouldn’t be here talking with you today. You see, Mozart had a passion and he built on that and was able to watch it grow. His actions have helped me kee p my love for music growing. Like Mozart, there are times that I struggle with the music, but it’s the passion and perseverance inside of me that pushes me forward. Because of my endeavors and accomplishments with Mozart’s operas, I was able to cultivate a new view on life. There is courage in me that I have gained from overcoming the difficulties of his works.I have an enormous amount of respect for real music because I know how much time and talent goes into it. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart has shown me, through his works, that I can achieve great things and that I can over come difficulties. There is a way to share with others the joy and strength he has given me, and that is to dedicate a day of celebration in his name. I am proud to honor Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart by proclaiming that January 21st is national Mozart day. This day will not only commemorate the day he was born, but it will also memorialize the history of his life.In celebration there will be chances for you to learn more about the famous composer. Historians will share with you the stories of his life, orchestras and operas will preform for you his many challenging masterpieces, and musicians everywhere will have a chance to be recognized for all the hard work and dedication they put into sharing the gift of music. A banquet held for them will provide the opportunity to learn and share all the unique aspects of music each musician can share with the world.This day will help us to set our goals high, and like Mozart, we will achieve greatness. No one will ever have the misfortune of not knowing who Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart is and what he has blessed us with. Joy and relaxation will run through the veins of listeners as radio stations spread the beauty that his music provides. Mozart’s life was built around music. He was preforming almost his whole life, and even though that is true, most of us wish he could give us more.There are many works of music out there that have been writt en by Mozart but there are many more pieces of music that have been written and shaped by the influence he has bestowed upon the world. His love for music has shown me how much I can achieve just by pursuing the hard to reach goals. As we celebrate his life, may we take advantage of the joy Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart can bring to each of our lives. But remember, Mozart was truly gifted and was recognized for it at an early age. You can encourage your children to get involved with music. You never know, what if they become the next â€Å"Mozart! † Thank you

Child Development Theories Essay

The following paper will obtain information based upon three influential men; Sigmund Freud, Alfred Adler, and Carl Jung. All three with their own theories of being and mental health will be explored. In addition to the basic theories of all three men, a comparison will be conducted based on each individual theory. Sigmund Freud was a man that believed in the unconscious mind and sexual impulses. Alfred Adler was a man that believed in the individual’s ability to be psycho analyzed as well as social relationships among people. Carl Jung was a man that believed in the individual’s past experiences as well as the individual’s religious beliefs. ‘Sigmund Freud, Carl Jung, and Alfred Adler; these three figures loom large in the history of modern psychology, casting long shadows that have, in the course of one century, forever changed the way we use the first-person pronoun, â€Å"I. † Among these giants, Freud is indisputably the most towering monolith. It was Freud’s pioneering use of the term the â€Å"I† (â€Å"das Ich† in his native German, which was then translated into the Latin â€Å"ego†) that brought â€Å"ego† into common parlance and popular interest to the process of self-consciousness. ’ (Nystul, M. S. 2005) (Enlightenment Magazine 2008) Sigmund Freud was the founder of psychoanalysis and he also believed that religion was of universal importance. Sigmund Freud felt that sexual impulses are the main motivation for men. He also felt that any mental activity was due to the unconscious mind. Alfred Adler was well known for his belief in individual psychology. He believed that motivational influence was due to social behavior and upbringing. This is not an uncommon belief today. The author of this paper happens to believe that it is our experience that makes us who we are. A child that grows up in a rich, non-threatening home is far more likely to have a better adult hood than that of a child that grows up in a poor, full of abuse ridden home. Not saying that someone that grows up poor and abused can make it because they could. Anyone can be anything they want if they put their mind to it. It is just that there would be a better chance of success than that of the opposite upbringing. All three men had their own interpretation. Adler believed in individual psychology. His belief that the human being should be viewed as a whole was a big find. He also believed that human beings accomplish goals because they want to not because anything is forcing them or helping them along. Adler also believed that only we have control over how our lives turn out and what we do with them. All three men were also professional about what they did and how they perceived one another. Each respecting each other, while understanding that their each individual way may not be the exact way everyone is going to view their concepts. â€Å"Individual Psychology breaks through the theory of determinism,† he writes. â€Å"No experience is a cause of success or failure. We do not suffer from the shock of our experiences—the so-called trauma—but we make out of them just what suits our purposes. We are self-determined by the meaning we give to our experiences. † Adler’s emphasis on the wholeness of the person and the fact that our values inevitably shape our experience led to his conviction that, in the end, there is only one true meaning to human life: care and love for our fellowmen. ’ (Nystul, M. S. 2005) (Enlightenment Magazine 2008) Carl Jung didn’t think that the individual past of a person was of any importance. He believed that religion was the main basis for any and all aspects of a human beings life. All three men were captivated by one another and their individual thoughts on the matter at hand. Religion was a big deal to Carl Jung and it is the experience of the author of this paper that religion is of importance to so many today. Religion is of values and beliefs that most everyone has whether they are Christian, Catholic, Buddhist, or any other religion that exists. Tradition shows that most religions have a set of beliefs and values that are followed by each member of that religion. Meeting every week on a certain day- Christians on Wednesdays and Sundays. It is following the values and beliefs provided by the church that Carl Jung believed in so much. If one is to be true to the church that would in fact have an effect on the way that individual would carry him or herself. In conclusion, Freud, Alder, and Jung have three very different outlooks on psychological theories. ‘All three of these remarkable men knew and worked with each other. In their day, these three men were on the cutting edge of the newest science of western civilization. If not for Freud, Alder, and Jung psychology would not have evolved into the field that it is today. ’ Life is full of surprises and one may never know what is going to happen next. Without theories or experiments, the knowledge of psychology would not have evolved into what it is today. Learning is the key to life and there is no such thing as too much knowledge. (Douglas C. 2005) References Enlightenment Magazine (2008) what is â€Å"Dis Ich† retrieved from: http://www. enlightenmentmagazine. com Nystul, M. S. (2005) Introduction to Counseling: an Art and Science Perspective (3rd edition) New York: Pearson Douglas, C. (2005). Current psychotherapies. (7th Edition) (pgs. 96-129) Itasca, Ill. F. E. Peacock.

Religious Accommodation For Public Schools Essay - 955 Words

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