Alice in the Gendered Sports-Fan Wonderland: A Sociological Inquiry

C. Wright Mills encouraged people to develop a sociological imagination in order to "place themselves in social context and identify how public issues affect them at the personal level, arguing that people need to know the source of their difficulties in order to make sense of their lives" (Disch 2). I believe that gender is often the context in which such difficulties arise. Disch goes on to stress the importance of empowerment through the challenging of the patriarchal system. She states that, "without seeing the complexity of human experience and the complexity of human oppression, we cannot begin to address the real needs of human beings caught in systematically oppressive social structures" (Disch 14). Though the feminist movement has vastly improved the situation of women, many challenges and obstacles still endure. Over the past century, substantial progress has been made in the opportunities afforded to women in voting rights, education, and job possibilities, but many social issues still need to be improved. In this paper I will discuss the obstacles women continue to face in their efforts to be seen as equals in the sports world as fans. In her paper, "Theoretical Reflections on Peer Judgments" (2003), M. Goltry speaks of how society plays a crucial role in how we view ourselves. She states, "It is through our interactions with others that we form opinions of ourselves" (Goltry 19). In my opinion, society plays a crucial role not only in how we view ourselves but also in how we behave, as well as how we seek to influence how others view us as well. Some things just aren't fully under our control, gender being one of these. I took a class on the Sociology of Gender, and found the readings on embodiment to be the most interesting part of the class. In particular, "Beauty is the Beast: Psychological Effects of the Pursuit of the Perfect Female Body" (1995), by Elayne A. Saltzberg and Joan C. Chrisler, went into great details concerning the differences between men and women and how they are viewed by society in relation to their appearance. The reading begins by quoting Ambrose Bierce (1958), "To men a man is but a mind. Who cares what face he carries or what he wears? But woman's body is the woman" (Saltzberg & Chrisler 167). Though there have been great steps forward for women since this time, this idea can still be felt in the present day. The authors go on to point out that men are considered "handsome," while women are "beautiful." The term handsome being derived from the word hand and referring to qualities of strength, action, and achievement, while beauty simply refers to decoration. "Men are instrumental; women are ornamental" (Saltzberg & Chrisler 167). This idea, I believe, translates into how we are expected to act as sports fans: men should be cheering loud and active, while women are expected to just "sit and be pretty." This has been especially apparent to me this year, as the Red Sox and Patriots both had such amazing seasons. It is now, however, during March Madness, that I realize it has bothered me year after year. I attended the University of Maryland for four years, including the 2001 season in which the Terrapins went to the Final Four for the first time in school history and the 2002 season in which they won their first National Championship. In my case, being a Maryland sports fan is an important part of my identity. A long-time misconception is that only men care about such sports as football, baseball, and basketball. For example, when a television show portrays the Super Bowl, it usually has something to do with men watching the game and their wives receive the stigma of being upset with their husbands regarding their watching the game. It seems that television still follows the traditional gender roles most of the time when it comes to sports. However, in the real world, women have become much more interested in "traditionally male" sports over the past few decades. …