Women as Change Agents
Workplace Issues for Female Fantasy Sports Journalists
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Mead Loop
Much scholarship exists involving female journalists in traditional sports reporting, but no scholarship has explored such issues of pay, promotion, harassment and credibility in the workplace of female fantasy sports reporting. Members of the Fantasy Sports Writers of America were surveyed. The quantitative portion of the FSWA survey asked members which issues they found relevant, and the open-ended, qualitative portion offered members a forum for explaining their concerns. Results included little evidence of a pay gap for equal work but a significant difference in advancement. Many female fantasy journalists leave the industry after a decade and following parenthood. Respondents also noted credibility gaps and harassment. Two factors that have not been isolated as affecting retention or promotion were flex time and a lack of need for physical newsrooms, but those are two differences for fantasy journalists compared to traditional sports journalists. Nonetheless, female fantasy journalists face the same obstacles that female reporters covering traditional sports and news have faced throughout journalism history. This survey extends the theory of hegemonic masculinity to fantasy sports journalism.
Gender Discrimination in Sports: Issues and Myths Surrounding Gender and the Path-breaking Approach of the Olympics Agenda 2020
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Manvendra Jadon
Gender, albeit for all the wrong reasons, has been at the forefront of debate in the modern world. The pathogen of gender segregation has been deep rooted among the ethical divisions of the international community. There are no merits for such segregation in the light of the effervescent concept of Equality that has been adopted by all the forward thinking nations of the world. Sports for centuries have largely undermined the role of women and thus has been mostly unsuccessful in breaking the stereotypes regarding gender in the society. The perception of women in sports has transformed from horrific to stable in the past century and their presence can now be felt from the Olympic turf to the Administrative chairs. Even though these changes are visible, they are limited and the stereotypical nexus between women and weakness still remains. The 206 member committees strong Olympic Movement spearheaded the crusade against gender equity for years, a feature clearly evident from the women participation and inclusion of events for women in the Olympic Games in initial years. Although, advanced economies have achieved significant results, a holistic change in the perceived bias and pre-conceived notions of the opposite gender is still beckoning. Even though “Women’s sport is an expression of the right to equality and the freedom of all women to take control of their bodies and participate in sports publicly, regardless of nationality, age, disability, sexual orientation or religion,” sports bodies and regulatory authorities have little or no regulations mandating the gender neutral spaces in the field of sports and this has critically imbalanced the growth and development of women in sport. Amateur athletes from a very tender age are subjected to the misogynistic views of the authoritative paternalism due to which they have to forego the opportunity to make a career in the world of sports. The condition of the disadvantaged communities and indigenous tribes is even worse as they face racial vilification on a regular basis which has led to a significant fall in their participation rates in spite of the existence of a plethora of rights based policies for the protection of their claims. To move out of the traditional channels of thought-process, this study adopts a socio-legal perspective to break the glass ceiling of myths regarding women participation in sports and to act as a catalyst for the betterment of the law and policy structure governing free and equal participation. Along with this, the research work tries to explore the efforts undertaken by International forums and authorities to tackle the menace of discrimination and how certain stereotypical barriers the society need to overcome in search of a level playing field. In a conclusive manner, the research work tries to comparatively analyse the position as it exist in developed and developing economies and find the best solutions.
A Field of Glass: Sport Media and Gender Studies
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Joseph Recupero
In the world of sport media, the phrase "field of play" is an often-heard term indicating where a competition is taking place. It might be a football field, a soccer pitch, a baseball diamond or an ice rink. On each particular field of play athletes know two things: that this is their combat area and that a pre-determined set of rules and regulations will determine how the game will be played. There is a playbook outlining how the game is won or lost. Successful athletes develop a keen sense of how to play and win the game. They instinctively know when to "play smart" and work more defensively; when to force their advantage and be more offensive; or when to "steal a base" and run for home. In many ways the work environment functions as a field of play at the micro level and society itself resembles a field of play at the macro level. The handbook of rules that women are faced with in society mirrors the complex array of hidden rules and resistance they meet in the workplace. This applies- particularly in terms of gender relations - in the world of sport media. It is not necessarily a field of play that women must navigate in sports production or broadcasts. Rather it can be viewed as a field of glass, with invisible barriers and precarious undercurrents such as the intersection of race, class and sexuality that can affect women's roles and status within the world of sports.
Sociocultural Glass Ceiling Barriers for Women in Sport Management
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Omur Dugan
When women executives in sport management are examined, it can be seen that there are very few women in top managerial positions in sport organizations. According to the literature review this is called the Glass Ceiling Syndrome. Glass ceiling is an unofficial barrier to workplace advancement, usually in regard to women or minority groups. These unofficial barriers include; multiple roles of women, preferences and perceptions, organizational culture and policies, lack of mentoring, communication networks, stereotypes and discrimination against women. We can gather these barriers in three titles, such as; individual, organizational and socio-cultural glass ceiling barriers. In this study the aim is to find out which kinds of socio-cultural barriers women face in sport organizations in top managerial positions. To find out this, a sample of six women top sport managers were included in the study. They were all assumed to break the glass ceiling and have reached top managerial positions in Turkish sport. Interviews were made with 6 women, which took approximately 50 minutes each. Content analysis were made in qualitative data analyze programme Nvivo-8. As a result of the study it was found that gender based stereotypes was the most important barrier which effected women negatively in their sport administration careers. The other barriers faced as glass ceiling were found to be; gender based vocational distinction, the culture of the country, the country’s socio-economic conditions and finally the non women supportive education system of the country.
