Show+Me+Skin+Before+You+Show+Me+Sport

Name: Danica Jong Student Number: n8317950 Tutor: Abbey Diaz

**Running like a girl: How Equitable is the Playing Field when it comes to Women in Sport?**

“…I try to be beautiful. On the track, we are the centre of attention. If we are ugly then nobody will be interested. They wouldn’t listen to the result, they would just say: ‘Ugh, she is so horrible.’” - Yelena Isinbayeva, current world record holder for Pole Vaulting

** Cultural Artefact **

This is just one of ten images in a photo gallery titled ‘Courts are Heating Up’ that was featured on the Sydney Morning Herald website from August 2008. It is an image that depicts a Brazilian female beach volleyball athlete however it focuses only on her buttocks. Beside the focal point of the image is the 2008 Beijing Olympic logo. A caption is also included underneath the photo which tells readers the Brazilian team is about to serve during a practice session at the Beijing Olympics. This photo is a cropped version of the [|original] from the Getty Images website which shows Larissa holding the ball. The website shows both versions of the photo, yet the Sydney Morning Herald chose to use the one that was zoomed in.

** Public Health Issue ** The way in which the media represents female athletes gives rise to a couple of very important public health issues. Firstly, if women are underrepresented and marginalised in the media, then the public is unaware of women’s sporting events and achievements (NSW Sport and Recreation, 2001). Young girls are therefore less likely to have role models in the sporting area and are also less likely to maintain and actively participate in physical activity as they become older. Another issue is the effect of the way in which women are represented in the media. If female athletes are constantly being portrayed in a light that focuses on their objective beauty and sexual attractiveness as opposed to the powerful elite athletes that they are (Bernstein, 2002), then this gives rise to issues regarding body image to those who view such images. This public health issue affects not only the general public, but also other athletes who are then pressured to look ‘beautiful’.

**Literature Review** It is well known that the mass media plays a significant role in the shaping of opinions and forming of attitudes throughout history (Harris & Clayton, 2002). In regards to sport, the public is especially reliant on the mass media as we view sport events through this channel most often. In today’s society, it is widely accepted that gender equality is a given, yet the media time given to women’s sport compared to men’s says otherwise. A two-week study undertaken by the Australian Sports Commission (ACS) in 1996, found that women’s sport in the media received very little coverage. Women’s sport made up only 1.4% on the radio, 2% on television and 10.7% in the newspapers (NSW Sport and Recreation, 2001). Coverage of men’s sport however, made up 95.1% on the radio, 56.2% on the television and 79.1% in the newspaper (NSW Sport and Recreation). Further to this, while the coverage of women in newspapers was at 10.7%, the articles were placed in less ‘eye-catching’ areas of the paper. Images of the women were also often posed, compared to images of men ‘in action’, which suggest that women’s sports are less athletic (NSW Sport and Recreation) or should not be seen in a more feminine manner. While this study was conducted in 1996, a more recent study from the Australian Sports Commission in 2009 was released which showed little change, despite the thirteen years which had passed. The 2009 report found that women’s sport contributed to only 9% of all sports coverage in the television news and current affairs media and 7% of non-news programming content on television (Australian Sports Commission, 2009).

It is difficult to comprehend why there is such a lack of coverage when Australian female athletes perform at such a high standard. The Hockeyroos for example, have medalled twelve times in the past ten years alone; the Matilda’s have won a major tournament in the last year (Football Federation Australia, 2011) and Samantha Stosur is ranked number 6 in the world (Tennis Australia, 2011). While it seems that these female athletes receive much coverage from the media, it is as a result only because of their success. The Australian Sports Commission (2009) found that female athletes had to secure a win in order to gain media attention, while for males coverage of their sport was received regardless of their success. This finding explains the disparity between media time given to men and women and suggests that sport is strictly a male domain (Harris & Clayton, 2002).

There is also a preference for viewing men’s sports on television and this is encouraged by the media. Not only in the greater air-time it receives, but also in the way it is presented visually. A study by Greer, Hardin and Homan (2009) analysed the 2004 Olympic coverage of the track and field events (which are events that are considered gender neutral). Overall, it was found that the men’s events received more air-time and presented in a ‘visually exciting’ manner. This was done by using more shot-types, a wider variety in the usage of camera angles and incorporating more motion special effects. As the media presents the coverage of men’s sport as more visually stimulating, viewing men’s events becomes more enjoyable.

The lack of attention that is given to women in sport may be the cause for lower participation rates of physical activity by females compared to males (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2011). As sporting events for women are less televised and promoted by the various modes of media, much of the general public, especially young girls, are unaware of significant sporting achievements by women and so, there is less encouragement to participate in sport (NSW Sport and Recreation, 2001).

Not only does the poor coverage of women in sport affect the public, but it also affects female athletes themselves. As women receive considerably less air-time than men, they resort to other ways to gain attention from the media and become widely recognisable to the public – exploiting their bodies. It is no secret that hundreds of magazines with a designed audience of men will use photographs of women dressed provocatively to ultimately increase sales. When the sports magazine //Sports Illustrated// for example, uses photographs of elite female athletes on their front cover, they are more often than not, images that are posed and depict the athlete in their traditional gender roles (Salwen & Wood, 1994), wearing little clothing. This sexualisation of women by the media has negative effects to the public. A study by Morrison, Kalin & Morrison (2004) found that females in their youth, who had greater exposure to media reflecting the ‘ideal’ body types, had lower levels of self-esteem.

Additionally, while female athletes are published in magazines for their objective beauty, they then depend on this in their goal to become as well recognised as their male counterparts. This is especially true for women who are involved in sports that are considered gender appropriate such as gymnastics. In this particular sport, there was a general consensus by the coaches that having a lower body weight helped the athlete succeed and that athletes themselves worry about their image (Buccholz et al., 2008). The current record holder for pole vaulting, Yelena Isinbayeva herself, said that for the public to take notice of her, she has to look good. Another study by Toro et al. (2005) indicated that athletes whose bodies were exposed in public were more at risk of developing eating disorders. With the increased risk factors of body dissatisfaction in female athletes, it is no wonder that female participation in physical activity is lower than males.

** Cultural and Social Analysis ** This two main health issues that need to be addressed in regards to female athletes in the media are the body image dissatisfaction and the lack of participation in physical activity. These arise when the athletes are portrayed as sexualised objects rather than for their athletic ability and talent, and also when women’s sports is marginalised by the media while men’s sport dominates.

Australia is well known internationally for its laid back attitude and lifestyle. However, it is also fast becoming one of the ‘fattest’ nations. The Australian Bureau of Statistics (2011) states that the National Health Survey conducted in 2007-08, 61% of adults were either overweight or obese and one quarter of Australian children aged between 5 and 17 years were either overweight or obese (Australian Bureau of Statistics 2009). The survey also found that the prevalence of overweight adolescent girls aged between 13 and 17 years increased by 12% since 1995. Interestingly, the ABS shows that participation in organised sports for girls starts to decrease by age eleven (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2009) which shows a correlation between physical activity levels and weight. As Australia steadily continues to increase in cases of overweight and obesity, this leads to other health risks such as cardiovascular disease and Type II diabetes (World Health Organisation, 2011). In light of these statistics, it is evident that adolescent females become affected by the marginalisation of women in sport as they don’t see physical activity being important.

Continuing with the crucial age group of adolescent girls, decline in physical activity levels may also arise as a result of the association with perceptions of being ‘unladylike’ (Harrison & Secarea, 2010). Thus, this is another issue regarding body image as Harrison & Secarea (2010) state that whilst adolescent males express their masculinity through competitive sport and physical activity, females refrain from competing to avoid being perceived as a tomboy or a lesbian. In this way, adolescents conform to traditional gender roles and this highlights the stigma - associated with breaking tradition - that is still present in today’s society.

In light of associated perceptions between athletic ability and masculinity, this may be another reason why female athletes agree to have posed sexualised images of themselves published. However in this process to appear more heterosexual, Harrison & Secarea (2010) found that their appearance as a strong and successful athlete is negatively affected and appear less athletically capable to viewers. Again, it seems we as a society have not wholly embraced feminist movements from the mid-twentieth century which fights for equality in the treatment of women. However, it must be noted that it is because of the 1984 Commonwealth Sex Discrimination Act that allowed women to be able to fully participate in all sporting clubs (Australian Sports Commission, N.D.).

There is currently a campaign run by ‘Women’s Health’ which is called ‘I Support Women in Sport’ (Australian Womensport & Recreation Association, 2011). This campaign encourages Australian women to become more involved in sport, as well as giving acknowledgment to female athletes who are often unrecognised or whose achievements are undervalued. Campaigns such as this one are much needed to help overcome the population health issues mentioned to first and foremost, raise awareness. This is essential so that the public develops a strong opinion and realises the stark differences between men and women in the media. In order for this to occur, public health experts must focus on the macro or upstream determinants of health, which are mainly government policies. To combat these issues and raise awareness, funding is needed so that the promotion of women in sport is equal to that of men’s or at least noticeably improves. Another strategy may be to develop a policy whereby a certain minimum coverage of women’s sports must be met each week in an effort to recognise women’s achievements as well as reduce the need for athletes to resort to sexual objectification to gain attention.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">** Analysis of the Artefact and Learning Reflections ** <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">The cultural artefact represents how professional female athletes are portrayed in the mass media. They are consistently portrayed as sexualised objects that are to be recognised for their beauty, rather than their athletic ability. It is evidently represented in this way because the focal point – in fact, the only subject – in this image is the athlete’s backside. Furthermore, without the caption on the bottom of the image, the audience probably would not know who it was or what she was doing. Even though the original photo would have shown the athlete in action, the media has chosen to change the image completely, just by cropping the photo, to appear as if it has been posed and to emphasise her femininity. This image perfectly captures the media’s role in the coverage of women in sport – to show the sport as a novelty, rather than a profession and this saddens me.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">As a result of this assessment piece, I was shocked at the vast disparity between men’s and women’s sports in the media. It was disheartening to find that female athletes must ultimately choose to become recognised and sexualised or continue their careers without acknowledgement. It was even more concerning to find that once a female athlete agrees to posed and sexualised imagery, she is seen as less athletic than before. It just seemed as though women couldn’t win in the media.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Society has come so far from the days when women were restricted to parlour games (Australian Sports Commission, N.D.) to now where there are so many Australian female athletes in vast areas of sport to be proud of. However, we have changed little in our attitudes towards recognising and promoting them as powerful elite athletes; instead, forcing them to conform to traditional gender roles. This alone, proves that “the more things change, the more they stay the same”.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">** References ** <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2009). Australian Social Trends: Children who are Overweight or Obese. Retrieved from <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> http://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/abs@.nsf/Lookup/4102.0Main+Features20Sep+2009

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2011).Overweight and Obesity in Adults in Australia: A Snapshot, 2007-08. Retrieved from <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/Products/73E036F555CE4C11CA25789C0023DAF8?opendocument

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Australian Sports Commission. (2009). //Towards a Level Playing Field: sport and gender in Australian media.// Retrieved from Australian <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> Sports Commission website http://www.ausport.gov.au?data/assets/pdf_file/0007/356209/Towards_a_Level_Playing_Field_LR.pdf

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Australian Sports Commission. (N.D.). A history of women and sport in Australia. Retrieved from <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> http://www.ausport.gov.au/participating/women/about/history

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Australian Womensport & Recreation Association. (2011). I Support Women in Sport!. Retrieved from <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> http://www.australianwomensport.com.au/default.asp?PageID=327

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Bernstein, A. (2002). Is It Time for a Victory Lap? : Changes in the Media Coverage of Women in Sport. //International Review for the// <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> //Sociology of Sport, 37//(3/4), 415-428. doi: 10.1177/101269020203700301

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Buccholz, A., Mack, H., McVey, G., Feder, S., & Barrowman, N. (2008). BodySense: An Evaluation of a Positive Body Image Intervention <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> on Sport Climate for Female Athletes. //Eating Disorders, 16//(4), 308-321. doi: 10.1080/1064026080211591

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Greer, J.D., Hardin, M., & Homan, C. (2009). “Naturally” Less Exciting? Visual Production of Men’s and Women’s Track and Field <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> Coverage During the 2004 Olympics. //Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media. 53//(2), 173-189. doi: <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> 10.1080/08838150902907595

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Harris, J. & Clayton, B. (2002). Femininity, Masculinity, Physicality and the English Tabloid Press: The Case of Anna Kournikova. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> //International Review for the Sociology of Sport, 37//(3/4), 397-413. doi: 10.1177/101269020203700402

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Harrison, L.A., & Secarea, A.M. (2010). College Students’ Attitudes Toward the Sexualization of Professional Women Athletes. //Journal of// <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> //Sport Behavior, 33//(4), 403-426. Retrieved from: http://web.ebscohost.com.ezp01.library.qut.edu.au/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer? <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> sid=5ae31db0-7789-412e-9ea2-3308b57b0965%40sessionmgr112&vid=2&hid=108

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Morrison, T.G., Kalin, R., & Morrison, M.A. (2004). Body-image evaluation and body-image investment among adolescents: A test of <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> sociocultural and social comparison theories. //Adolescence, 39//(155), 571-592. Retrieved from <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> http://web.ebscohost.com.ezp01.library.qut.edu.au/ehost/detail?vid=13&hid=108&sid=05b5bf9b-0ad6-4601-9e80- <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> b8b35139ab36%40sessionmgr110&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=c8h&AN=2005085630

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">NSW Sport and Recreation. (2001). //Media Coverage of Women in Sport// [Infosheet]. NSW: Author <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> Salwen, M. B., & Wood, N. (1994). Depictions of female athletes on Sports Illustrated covers, 1957-1989. // Journal of Sport Behavior, // <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">// 17 //(2), 98. Retrieved from http://web.ebscohost.com.ezp01.library.qut.edu.au/ehost/detail?vid=11&hid=108&sid=05b5bf9b-0ad6-4601- <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> 9e80-b8b35139ab36%40sessionmgr110&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=afh&AN=9605236538

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Sydney Morning Herald. (2008). Courts are heating up. Retrieved from: <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> http://www.smh.com.au/ftimages/2008/08/07/1217702189204.html

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Toro, J., Galilea, B., Martinez-Mallen, E., Salamero, M., Capdevila, L., Mari, J., Mayolas, J., & Toro, E. (2005). Eating Disorders in <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> Spanish Female Athletes. // In ternational Journal of Sports Media, 26 // (8), 693-700. doi: 10.1055/s-2004-830378 <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> World Health Organisation. (2011). Obesity and Overweight. Retrieved from: <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs311/en/index.html

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;">**Learning Engagement and Reflection Task**

__ Title: Can Generation Y Keep Up With Ever-changing Technology? __ Comment: Surprising Information

I found your artefact really informative and the changes in statistics that comes about with each technological advancement really was remarkable. It opens your eyes to the significant changes our society undergoes in such a short space of time and is an excellent summary of the fast-paced world we live in. The extent of the addiction Generatyion Y has to technology was also quite confronting and made me realise how dependent we are on technology and the negatives that are associated with this such as 'Dr Google'. Your wiki has made me think about how we should be using technology to assist us in our lives through the pros that you have mentioned, rather than take over our lives and become something like a 'drug'. Well done!

__ Title: Stigma and Mental Illness - The Double Whammy __ Comment: Stigma

Your artefact is an excellent summary of the stigma surrounding mental illness and it's great to see Australian campaigns to better understand the situation. The fact that 1 in 5 Australians suffers from a mental health disorder, yet our society still labels them using derogatory words or treats them different astonishes me. Prior to reading this, I didn't know about self-stigma and the large role it plays in health. However, it's opened my eyes to how isolated one can feel and thus understand the reluctance to seek help. Your analysis is well written and I completely agree in your hope that stigma one day disappears.