Sexism Towards Female Athletes

Abstract

Gold medalist Katinka Hosszu broke the world record in the 400-meter individual medley in the 2016 Rio Olympics. Her husband and coach, Shane Tusup was immediately congratulated and credited for his wife’s accomplishment: NBC reporter Dan Hicks exclaimed “there’s the man responsible” when the cameras panned over to Tusup. Sexism towards female athletes is a serious issue in the sports industry today. For research purposes, this paper will focus on the negative approach the sports industry and media has towards female athletes, and the financial pay gap as a consequence. This prejudice can affect women in society on a sociological level by attempting to maintain patriarchy, on a psychological level by warping their sense of self-worth, and on the societal level by corrupting public policy. What impact does the inequality have on female athletes emotionally as well as monetarily? Using labeling theory as a frame, I suggest that the inequality towards women, particularly female athletes, can affect them psychologically and sociologically. Labeling theory is a sociological term suggesting that people tend to identify and behave according to how they are treated and labeled by others. For example, if a female athlete is not given credit for a sport she put an extreme amount of effort into, the effort going into the sport may diminish. This research is relevant because of the growing concern arising from female athletes. Their voices alone are not being heard to the extent that will make a difference to the sports industry as a whole.